Voyages of William Baffin, 1612–1622 (Cambridge Library Collection - Hakluyt First Series)

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Voyages of William Baffin, 1612-1622 The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. This 1881 volume contains accounts by William Baffin (1584–1622) and others of Baffin’s voyages exploring the coasts of Greenland and Spitsbergen, and his search for the North-West Passage. Although he did not find a route east, he got considerably further north than previous navigators, and provided much useful information on the conditions and natural resources of the area. His meticulous chart making and record keeping, and his use of lunar observations to calculate longitude, were groundbreaking and remarkably accurate, as later explorers found.

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Voyages of William Baffin, 1612-1622 E di t e d by C lements R . M arkham

C A M B R I D G E U N I V E R SI t y P R E S S Cambridge, New york, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape town, Singapore, São Paolo, Delhi, Dubai, tokyo Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New york www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781108011556 © in this compilation Cambridge University Press 2010 This edition first published 1881 This digitally printed version 2010 ISBN 978-1-108-01155-6 Paperback This book reproduces the text of the original edition. The content and language reflect the beliefs, practices and terminology of their time, and have not been updated. Cambridge University Press wishes to make clear that the book, unless originally published by Cambridge, is not being republished by, in association or collaboration with, or with the endorsement or approval of, the original publisher or its successors in title.

WORKS ISSUED BY

Clje i?afelugt Variety, THE

VOYAGES OF WILLIAM BAFFIN.

No. LXITI.

THE

VOYAGES WILLIAM

BAFFIN,

1612-1622.

EDITED,

EJBitfj jptates anB an Entrotmction, ET

CLEMENTS E. MARKHAM, C.B., F.RS.

LONDON: PRINTED FOE THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY. MDCCOIiXXXI.

COUNCIL

THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY.

COLONEL H. YULE, C.B., PRESIDENT.

IUNE. C.B. ADMIRAL C. E. DEINKWATEB BETHUNE,

)

MAJOE-GENEEAL SIB HENEY RAWLINSON, K.C.B.

)

> VICE-PEESIDEHTS,

W. A. TYSSEN AMHEEST, ESQ., M.P. REV. D E . G. P. BADGEE. J. BAEEOW, ESQ. WALTER DE GRAY BIRCH, ESQ. E. A. BOND, ESQ. E. H. BUNBURY, ESQ. ADMIEAL SIB E. COLLINSON, K.C.B. THE EAEL OU DUCIE. AUGUSTUS W. FRANKS, ESQ. CAPTAIN HANKEY, E.N. LIEUT.-GEMEAL S I E J. HENEY LEFEOY, C.B., K.C.M.G. E. H. MAJOE, ESQ. EEAE-ADMIEAL MAYNE, C.B. DELMAE MOEGAN, ESQ. AL-HIEAL SIE EEASMUS OMMANNEY, C.B. LOED ARTHUR RUSSKLL, M.P. T H E LOBD STANLEY OF ALDEELET.

EDWARD THOMAS, ESQ. EiraEAL S I E HENEY THUILLIEE, C.S.I.

CLEMENTS R. MAEKHAM, C.B., HONOEAEY SECEETARy.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION .

.

.

.

.

i

T H E FIRST RECORDED VOYAGE OP WILLIAM BAFFIN .-—

Part I.—Written by John Gatonbe . ,, II.—Fragment written by Baffin himself

. .

. .

1 20

T H E SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF WILLIAM BAFFIN :—

I.—A Journal written by Baffin . . . II.—A Journal probably by Fotherby . . . III.—A Brief Description of King James his New Land . IV.—The manner of killing the Whale and the whole proceedings for performing of the Voyage . .

3 8 5 4 69 72

T H E THIRD RECORDED VOYAGE OF. WILLIAM BAFFIN :—

Narrative by Kobert Fotherby

.

.

. 8 0

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF WILLIAM BAFFIN :—

I.—Letter from Baffin to his Employers II.—The Breefe Journall . . III.—" A Tru Relation" by Baffin .

. . .

. 103 .106 .111

T H E FIFTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF WILLIAM BAFFIN :—

I.—A Briefe and True Relation or Journal by Baffin II.—Baffin's Letter to Sir John Wolstenholme . III.—Baffin's Instructions

.

.

.

, 138 . 149 .

174

DISCOURSE AS TO A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE :— Briefe Discourse of the Probabilitie of a Passage .

.155

Story of Thomas Cowles as to what he heard at Lisbon Note by Michael Lok on Discoveries of J u a n de Fuca Treatise by Henry Briggs INDEX

.

.

.

.

. .

.

.

160

.

161 169 176

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Portrait of Sir Thomas Smith

.

.

.

Frontispiece

Map of the Coast of Arabia, and entrance to the Persian Gulf

. xliii

Series of Five Maps to Illustrate the History of the Delineation of Baffin's Bay :— I.—From the Circumpolar Chart of Luke Fox, 1635 . II.—From Hexham's Edition of Hondius, 1636 III.—From Moll's Atlas, 1720

.

.

. }-lvi

IV.—From Daines Barrington, 1818 V.—Baffin's Bay, according to Modern Charts

. J

Part of the West Coast of Greenland

.

.

. 1

West Coast of Spitzbergen

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.

. 2 1

.

Facsimile of Baffin's Chart of Hudson's Strait

.

.103

INTRODUCTION. the narratives of whose voyages are now for the first time collected in a single volume, occupies a deservedly high place in the list of our early navigators. Although he is only known to us during the last twelve years of his life, and his previous history is an absolute blank, yet the record of those later achievements secures for him an honourable niche in England's temple of fame. He was a daring seaman, a scientific observer, and a great discoverer. I propose, in this Introduction, to consider Baffin's position successively in those three capacities. But it will, I believe, be alike an act of justice to those who enabled Baffin to perform his work, and conducive to a more thorough appreciation of that work, if I devote my opening pages to a notice of the grand old Merchant Adventurers, who were the munificent patrons of discovery during the Elizabethan age. Baffin gratefully immortalised the names of the generous patrons who set forth the voyages in which he served; of Sir Thomas Smith, Sir Francis Jones, Sir Dudley Digges, Sir John Wolstenholme, and. Sir James Lancaster ; and among these pillars of b WILLIAM BAFFIN,

il

LIFE OF SIB THOMAS SMITH.

England's commercial greatness, Sir Thomas Smith takes the foremost rank. To his wisdom and patriotism, to his disinterested zeal for discovery, and adventurous boldness, the marvellous extension of our trade, and the honour of many of our maritime exploits, are mainly due. Thomas Smith of Westenhanger, in Kent, better known as " Customer Smith", was the son of a yeoman, of long descent in Wiltshire, and was for many years one of the Farmers of the Queen's Customs. By his wife Alice, daughter of the Lord Mayor, Sir Andrew Judd, he had four sons who survived him, and three daughters. Alice Judd was descended from Sir Robert Chicheley, through whom her children were Founder's Kin of All Souls, and she was a first cousin of Sir Henry Cromwell, grandfather of the great Protector.1 Customer Smith died in 1591, and was buried at Ashford. Of his four sons, the eldest, Sir John of Westenhanger and Ashford, was father of Thomas Smythe, first Viscount Strangford. His line became extinct with that accomplished geographer, the eighth Viscount, who was Vice-President of the Royal Geographical Society, and died in 1869. Sir Thomas, the second son, was the Merchant Adventurer. Simon, the third, was slain at Cadiz in 1597. The fourth, Sir 1

Sir Thomas Murfin, Lord Mayor, had a daughter Alice, wife of Sir Andrew Judd and mother of Alice, who married " Customer" Smith; and another daughter, Frances, who married Sir Richard Williams, alias Cromwell, and was mother of Sir Henry Cromwell of Hinchinbrook, and great grandmother of Oliver Cromwell.

LIFE OF SIR THOMAS SMITH.

m

Richard Smythe, was of Leeds Castle, which his daughter sold to Sir Thomas Colepepper of Hollingbourne. Of the three daughters, Catharine married Sir Rowland Hayward, Lord Mayor of London; Elizabeth married Sir Henry Fanshaw, and Jane was wife of J. Fanshaw, of Ware Park. Thomas Smith,1 the second son, succeeded his father as Customer to Queen Elizabeth, and became a successful London Merchant. He inherited, from his father, the manor of Bidborough, and an estate in the parish of Sutton-at-Hone, in Kent, called Brooke Place, where he built a large house. He also had another house at Deptford, and town houses in Philpot Lane, and in Gracechurch Street. He became wealthy and influential, and it was his great merit to have encouraged maritime enterprise and discovery throughout a long life, not mainly for the sake of gain, but for the honour of his country. Sir Thomas Smith was an active Member of the Muscovy Company, and was among those adventurers who despatched the first voyages to Spitsbergen. He also took a leading part in the found1

He must not be confused with his contemporary, the learned Sir Thomas Smith, who was born at Saffron Waldeu in 1514, and whose life was written by Strype. This Sir Thomas Smith was of Queen's College, Cambridge. In conjunction with Cheke he brought in a new way of pronouncing Greek, and was University Orator. He was Secretary of State in the reign of Edward VI, sent ambassador to France by Queen Elizabeth, again Secretary of State in 1572, and died in 1577. He must have been many years the senior of his namesake the Merchant Adventurer. His descendant is Sir W. Bowyer Smijth, Bart., of Hill Hall, in Essex. h 2

iv

LIFE OF SIR THOMAS SMITH.

ation of the East India Company, and was elected its first Governor in 1600. He was Sheriff of London in the same year, and was knighted by James I, at the Tower, on May 13th, 1603. In 1604, he was sent Ambassador to Muscovy, sailing in June, and arriving at Archangel on the 22nd of July. Thence he proceeded to Moscow, and succeeded in obtaining privileges for English merchants from Boris Godunof.1 He returned in the following year, and was afterwards employed, on several occasions, in affairs of State connected with commerce. Sir Thomas Smith was re-elected Governor of the East India Company in 1607, and again in 1609 ; when, for his great services, and for having procured the first and second charters, a sum of £500 was voted for his acceptance. But he refused to take the oath of Governor until the Company took back £250. "The residue his Worship kindly yielded to take." The East India Company flourished mightily under his wise and energetic administration ; and in 1610, the largest merchant vessel that had ever been built, was launched in presence of the Kino-. She was named by James I, the "Trade's Increase", and at the same time his Majesty, with his own hands, placed a gold chain, worth £200, with his portrait hanging to it, round the neck of Sir Thomas Smith. 1

The narrative of the Embassy was published unknown to Sir Thomas Smith and without his consent. "Sir Thomas Smith's Voyage and Entertainment in Russia, with the Tragical Ends of Two Emperors awl One Empress within one month of hi:< h

> betweene

60 degrees, 30 minutes, or neere there about which is the difference of longitude betweene the meridian of London and this place in Groenland, called Gockins Sound, lying to Groeniana. the westward of London.1 This finding of the longitude, I confesse, is somewhat difficult and troublesome, and there may be some small errour. Bat if it be carefully looked vnto, and exactly wrought, there will be no great errour, if your ephemerides objection, be true. But some will say, that this kinde of working is not for marriners, because they are not acquainted to work propositions by the table of signes,2 and an instrument is not precise enough to find out the houre, minute, and second. For the losse of one minute of time is the losse of 7 degrees of longitude. I answere, that Answere. although the most part are not vsed to this worke, yet I 1 Baffin's result is a longitude too far to the westward. It is, in fact, nearly the longitude of Cape Walsingham, on the other side of Davis 2 Strait. Cockin Sound is in 52° 50' W. Sines.

22"

g

THE FIRST RECORDED VOYAGE OF

know some of the better sort, which are able to worke this and the like propositions exactly. And those which yet cannot, and are desirous to learne, may in short space attaine to such knowledge as shall be sufficient for such things. And how necessary it is that the longitude of places should be knowne, I leaue to the iudgernent of all skilfull marriners, and others that are learned in the mathematicks. This afternoons it was agreed by the chiefe of our company, that our master, James Hall, should goe in the smaller ship farther to the northward. The foresaid Thursday, in the evening, he departed out of the Patience into the Harts-ease} to get forth of the harbor, which our master called Cochins-ford, in remembrance of Alderman Cochin, one of the aduenturers; which place is in the latitude of 65° 20'.2 And the

Ford, in 65°

r

t£n, 23™!'. variation of the com passe is 23° 28' to the westward. That evening was very calme, and we towed our shippe forth with the shallops and ship's boat. But within an houre or two after we were got into the offin, the winde being at north, it blew a great storme, which continued all that night. The fourteenth, our master turned the ship vp to the river againe, toward the riuer where the supposed mine3 should 1

Gatonbe, the quartermaster, who wrote the preceding account of the voyage, printed in Churchill's collection, says the arrangement was that Hall, with twelve men of the Patience, should go on board the Heart's Ease to explore to the northward. Baffin and young "William Huntiiss were of the number. Two masters' mates and two quartermasters were left on board the Patience, and she was to follow from Cockayne Sound to King's (or Christian's) Fiord. The boats and shallops towed the viceadmiral (Heart's Ease) out to sea. 2 The Admiralty Chart places Cockin Fiord in 65° 10' JST. The Danish settlement of Sukkertoppen is really Cockin Fiord, in 65° 25' N. 3 The main object of the expedition appears to have been to visit and collect ores from a supposed silver mine which Hall had discovered during his voyage with the Danes. Like Frobisher, he had mistaken the glittering pieces of mica occurring with the granite for silver ore.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

23

be. But the tyde was so farre spent that we could not get to sea, but were constrained to anker in a roade at the south side of the riuer, some three leagues from the Patience, in which place are many good rode-steeds to be Many good '

r

J

"

1

Rodea.

found. Thirsday, the sixteenth day, the winde was at north-west, and blew so stiffs a gale that we could not get to sea that day. That night, eighteene of vs went into the ilands to looke for some deere, but found none. But we perceiued the foote-ateps of some great beast, which wee supposed to be of some great elke; the foote was as bigge as any Great footoxe toote. Tuesday, the twentie-one, the weather still continued in such sort that wee could not by any means get to the riuer, where the supposed myne should bee. Wherefore our master bare roome for Ramels-ford,2 being a river southward ^f™^ls of another, called Cunninghams-ford,3 some twelve leagues. And we came to an anchor at the entrance on the south side of the ford, about seuen of the clocke. Wednesday, the two and twentieth day, about nine or 1 According to Gatonbe, there was a quarrel between Hall and William Gordon, the master's mate of the Patience, while the two ships were at anchor in King's Fiord. " Our general, being angry, would not come aboard of us, but was in the vice-admiral." 2 Henrik Rommel's Fiord was discovered by the Danes when Hall was with them in 1605, and so named. Hall, in his report to King Christian IV, places Rommels Fiord in 66° 35' N. latitude. Further on, in a marginal note, Baffin gives 67° as the latitude. Rommels Fiord is the harbour of Holsteinborg. The settlement on the south side is in 66° 54' N. The original settlement of Holsteiuborg was founded, on the north side of the harbour, in 1759, in a spot now overgrown with willows and overshadowed by the lofty range of the Proeste-fjeld. This is exactly in Baffin's latitude. It was removed to its present site, on the south side, in 1771, and the church was founded by Paul Egede on January 6th, 1775. 3 North of Rommels Fiord is the promontory named Cape Sophia by Hall, in 1605, after King Christian's mother; and beyond it is Cunningham's Fiord, which Hall places in 67° 25' N. The Danish chart of 183^ places its entrance in 67° 15' N.

24

THE FIRST EECOKDED VOYAGE OF

ten of the clocke, the sauages came to barter with vs, being about fortie of them, and continued about an houre and an James Han halfe: at which time our master, James Hall, being in the deadly

'

i

wounrieaty boate,1 a sauage with his dart strooke him a deadly wound

a Sauage.

°

J

vpon the right side, which our surgeon did thinke did pierce his liuer. We all mused that he should strike him, and offer no harme to any of the rest; vnlesse it were that they knew him since he was there with the Banes ; for out of that riuer they carried away fiue of the people, whereof neuer any returned againe ;2 and in the next riuer they killed a great number. And it should seeme that he which killed him was either brother, or some neere kinsman to some of them that were carried away; for he did it very resolutely, and came within foure yards of him. And for ought we could see, the people are very kinde one to another, and ready to reuenge any wrong offred to them. All that day he lay very sore pained, looking for death euery houre, and resigned all his charge to Master Andrew Barker, master of the Harts-ease, willing him to place another in his room master of the small ship.3 1

Gatonbe says that William Huntriss and two others were in the boat with. Hall, when he was murdered. 2 There is a sad account of the kidnapping of natives during the Danish voyages of 1605 and 1606, in which Hall was engaged. In the first voyage Hall's people seized four Eskimo, but killed one to strike terror into the rest, who were untractable. Two were seized by the crew of the other ship. These poor people were brought to Denmark, but constantly cast an eye northward with sorrowful countenances and pitiable sighs. At last they took to flight in their kayaks, but were caught and brought back to Copenhagen, where two of them died of grief. One of the Eskimo used to weep bitterly whenever he saw a little child hanging on its mother's neck, from which, it was concluded that he must have had a wife and children. But no one could speak with them. Two died on the voyage back to Greenland. The last once more fled in his kayak, and was not overtaken until he was sixty or seventy leagues from land. On being brought back he also died of grief. See Crantz's History of Greenland, i, p. 277 ; and Peyrere, p. 150. :i Doubtless Hall named his constant and faithful attendant William Iluutriss to be Blaster of the Heart's Ease.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

25

Thursday, the three and twentieth, about eight of the ^ j ^ 1 1 clocke in the morning he dyed, beiDg very penitent for all Hal1' his former offences. And after wee had shrowded him wee carried him in the shallop, to burie him in some out iland,1 according to his owne request while he was liuing. After we had buried him, we went in the shallop to seeke for the mine, which we had expected so long. All that day we rowed along toward the north, passing by a cape called Queen Sophias cape. That night we staied at an iland, sophkfs ape some three leagues short of the river. ' Friday, the four and twentieth, in the morning, wee rowed along and came to the place which is on the south side of the entrance of Gunninc/ham's river. And we cunning. J

ham River.

found diuers places where the Danes had digged; it was a kinde of shining stone, which, when our goldsmith, James Carlisle, had tried, it was found of no value, and had no The'supposed Mine

mettall at all in it, but was like vnto Moscouie fludde? found to be J

J

3

or no value.

and of a glittering colour. That day, after we had dyned, wee rowed vp that riuer some foure leagues, where diuers of our company went vp into the mountaines, and found a valley more pleasant than they had seene in the countrey. A pleasant That euening we returned, and came to the place where the Banes had digged their supposed mine, and tooke some of it in our boate to carry with vs, and returned toward our ship. That night we rowed and sailed, and the next morning, about nine of the clocke, we came to our ship. Saturday, the flue and twentieth, being Saint James his day, in the forenoone, we came to our shippe, lying on the south side of the riuer called Rumels river. And as soone as our master found that the people came no more to trade with vs, he determined to depart with the shippe into the Kings Ford to the Patience; and rowing about the harbour, where we lay to finde some neerer way out to the sea, we 1 One of the Knight Islands, outside Holsteinborg. s Mica.

26

THE FIRST EECOEDED VOYAGE OF

among the Hands where many of their winter houses Eameis" had bin, and some of their tents were but lately carried fashion of away. In which place wee also found one of their long 1

their

greater

boates, made of wood, and bound together for the most

Boates.

Eameis

'

s

part with shiuers of whales fins, and covered with seales skinnes, being some two and thirtie foote in length, and some fiue foote broad, having tenne thoughts or seates in it. That day, about twelue of the clocke, we weighed anchor, and departed out of Ramels Ford, which lieth in

ford in the

'

r

>

latitude^ the latitude of 67°, and the variation of the compasse is variation is 24° \Q'} being a very faire riuer, and one of the most principall which we saw in that countrey, stretching in east and east and by south. This night, about one of the clocke, we came to the Patience, lying in the Kings Ford.1 Sunday, the sixe and twentieth, Master Andrew Barker, and our merchant. Master Wilkinson, with other of the company, were in conference about returning home, because that since our master was slaine, none of the sauages would trade with us as they were wont. Wednesday, the nine and twentieth, we were likewise occupied about taking in of ballast, for our shippe was very light; and that evening it was agreed that Andrew Barker? master of the Harts-ease, should goe master of the Patience, which was sore against the minde of William 1

Gatonbe says: " This day at night came our vice-admiral, with our great pinnace at her stern, her flag hanging down, and her ancient hanging down over the poop, which was a sign of death." 2 The appointment of Andrew Barker, to succeed Hall, appears to have been unpopular with the two master's mates, William Gordon and John Hemsley, and with some of the men. There was a display of mutinous feeling. Several called out for Hemsley to be general • but the quartermasters, boatswains, gunner, and other officers declared for Barker. Gatonbe says that Barker was an old and experienced seaman, having before been ruler and overseer of many good men in ships in Hull, besides other places, and having been one of the chief masters and wardens of the Trinity House. The officers

W1LIJAM BAFFIN.

27

Oourdon ; 3 arid William Huntrice* was appointed master of wiiiiam the Harts-ease; and John Gatenby,5 one of the quarter-Master of the Hearts-

masters of the Patience, was masters-mate of the Harts- ease. ease. eventually succeeded in persuading the two crewa to accept Barker as general of the expedition and the arrangements made by him. Through the kindness of Mr. Wilson, of the Trinity House, at Hull, I am able to give the following additional particulars respecting Andrew Barker. He was admitted a younger brother of the Trinity House of Hull in the year 1594, and was three times Warden, namely, in 1606, 1613, and 1618. In 1611 Barker made a voyage to the northern seas, and brought back a cargo from Wardhous (Vardo in Norway). Among the Lansdowne Manuscripts in the British Museum (923), there is a collection of pencil-notes on Hull and the neighbourhood by Warburton, made in the summer of 172-t. From one of these notes it appears that Andrew Barker presented one of the compartments of painted glass in the east window of the old chapel of the Hull Trinity House. The figure was that of St. James-the-less. This has disappeared ; but there still hangs in the Hall of the Trinity House the 3 William Gordon was afterwards employed in Spitzbergen voyages. He cannot have been the same William Gordon whom the Muscovy Company sent to reside at Pustozera on the Pechora river in 1611 as one of their traders. This William Gordon wrote an interesting report, in 1615, on the Samoyeds, their dress, sledges, tents, customs, etc., which is published in Purchas, iii, p. 553. 4 William Huntriss, or Huntrice, was a Yorkshire lad. Purchas says he came from " Stoneborough". But there is no such place in Yorkshire. It is probably a misprint for Scarborough. Huntriss is a Scarborough name, and there is Huntriss Row in the old town. Young William Huntriss went the first voyage to Greenland with James Hall. This expedition, under Captain Cunningham, was sent by the King of Denmark, and sailed from Copenhagen on May 2nd, 1605. Hall was master of the Troost, Cunningham's ship, and Huntriss was Hall's boy. The ship anchored off the Greenland coast, and Hall went to explore in the pinnace, attended by his boy. On this occasion young Huutriss, when in the boat, was shot through both buttocks by an Eskimo arrow. He went with Hall in his second and third voyages, and was allowed £30 a year by the King of Denmark for his skill in navigation. When Hall left the Danish service his faithful boy accompanied him, and went out in this Greenland voyage from Hull, of which Baffin is the historian. Now we find him promoted to be Master of the second

28 e ome out of° outof our -

Thick and f 0£r2"is weather, the winde

Cape.

THE FIRST RECORDED" VOYAGE OP

Tuesday, the fourth of August, in the morning, the winde being northerly, a very small gale, we got to sea, where the winde came to the southward, and we tacked sometime on the one boord, and sometime on the other, making small way on our course. Munday (sic), the tenth, was raine and foule weather, as it had continued euery day since wee came from harbour, sauing the seuenth day, which was somewhat faire; for commonly, while the winde is south, it is very thick and foule weather. We tacked sometimes on one boord, and . sometimes on the other, making a south-by-west way, at noone six leagues. Wednesday, the twelfth, it waxed calme, we being somewhat southward of a cape, called Burnils Gape ;1 and about model of a kayak, with an Eskimo in it, which was presented by Andrew Ba'rker. It has the following inscription :— "Andrew Barker, one of the Masters of this House, on his voyage from Greenland, anno doviini 1613, took up this boat and a man in it, of which this is the effigy."

In the accounts for the second quarter of Andrew Barker's third Wardenship, A.D. 1619, are the following entries :— " Item to Edward Ffewlis for carving the Greynlander . v» " Item to the paynter for the Greynlander . . iiij." And in the succeeding Warden's accounts (A.D. 1620) is the following entry :—" Item to Andrewe Barker, w

34

THE FIRST RECORDED VOYAGE OP

that it cannot bee well come by. There are some rocks in ^ e g e mountaynes, which are exceeding pure stone, finer, and whiter then alabaster.1 The sides of these mountaynes continually are covered with snow for the most part, and especially the north sides, and the No[r]th sides of the Grasse. valleyes hauing a kind of mosse, and in some places grasse, with a little branch running all along the ground, bearing a little black berrie; it runneth along the ground like No trees, three-leaued grasse heere in England. There are few or no trees growing, as farre as wee could perceiue; but in one place, some fortie miles within the land, in a river, Bails River, which w e e called Balls River. There I saw, on the south side of an high mountayne, which we went vp, and found A grove of ( as ft were) a yong groue of small wood, some of it sixe or email wood.

v

/

./

o o

>

seuen foot high, like a coppice in England that had beene some two or three yeers cut; and this was the most wood that wee saw growing in this country, being some of it a kind of willow, juniper, and such like.2 We found in many places much angelica. We suppose the people eate the roots thereof, for some causes, for we haue seene them have many of them in their boats.3 1

Quartz. The largest tree ever seen by Dr. Rink, in Greenland, was a birch fourteen feet high, in the Tasermiut fjord, in 60° N. lat. This Betula alpestris is only found south of 62° N. South of 65° N. the alder (^1 Inus repens) grows scantily. 3 The Quan (Archangelica officinal is) is found in the fjords of South Greenland, and more rarely in Disco. The word Quan, now used by the Eskimo, is Norse, and hence it is supposed that angelica was introduced by the Normans. The young stalks are eaten raw, being brittle and sweet. In sheltered spots the plant will grow to a height of six feet. Angelica was well known in the kitchen gardens of England in the days of Baffin. Gervase Markham, in his "Country Farm" (published in 1616), includes it among the physic herbs, which should, he recommends, be grown in certain borders below the kitchen garden, near the wall of the orchard. The root was believed to be sovereign against the plague and all sorts of poisons, and Englishmen then used the leaves and stalks in sauce with their meats, because it was supposed to help digestion 2

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

35

There are a great store of foxes in the Hands, and in the Foxes. Mayne, of sundry colours; and there are a kind of hares, White hares as white as snow, with their furre or haire very long. Also there be deere, but they are most commonly vp Deere. within the Mayne very farre; because the people doe so much hunt them that come neere the sea. I saw at one time seuen of them together, which were all that wee did see in the country. But our men have bought diuers coates of the people, made of deeres skinnes, and have bought of their homes also. Besides, we have diuers times seene the footsteps of some beast, whose foote was bigger than the These . . r

'

DO

seeme to be

foot of a great oxe. Furthermore, the inhabitants haue a LoSes* kinde of dogges, which they keepe at their houses and Dodges like tents, which dogges are almost like vnto wolues, liuing by fish, as the foxes doe. But one thing is very strange, as I thought; for the pizzles of both dogges and foxes are bone. ™ DoiZgols The people, all the summertime, vse nothing but fishing, ^bonefso drying their fish and seales flesh vpon the rockes, for their Morses pSwinter prouision. Euery one, both man and woman, haue which i have by me

each of them a boate, made with long small pieces of firre- one of stone. wood, couered with seales skinnes very well drest, and sewed so well with sinewes or guts that no water can pierce them through, being some of them aboue twentie foot long, and not past two foot, or two foot and an halfe broad, in forme of a weauers shittle (sic), and so light, that a man may carrie many of them at once for the weight. In these boates they will row so swiftly, that it is almost The great J

•> '

swif tnesse

incredible; for no ship in the world is able to keepe way Bf0*thseir with them, although shee haue neuer so good a gale of wind; and yet they vse but one oare, who, sitting in the middle (sic) of their boate, and holding their oare in the Their oares K

'

'

a

very much. The leaves were held to be good against sorcery and enchantment. For notices of angelica in Greenland, see Crantz, i, p. 61 ; and Egede, p. 45.

broad at both ends.

36

Salmons

THE FIRST RECORDED VOYAGE OP

middle, being broad at each end like our oares, will at an instant goe backward and forward as they please.1 In these boates they catch the most part of their food, being1 seales and salmons, morses, and other kinds of fishes.

and Morses,

°

and LinSes Some they kill with their darts, and other some with angles, hauing a line made of small shiuers of whales finnes, and an hooke of some fishes bones, with which lines and hookes we also have caught very much fish. Their great Also they haue another kinde of boate, which is very foot long. l o n g ; for wee haue seene one of them thirty-two foot in length, open in the toppe like our boates, hauing tenne seats in it; in which, when they remooue their dwellings, they carrie their goods or house-hold stuffe; for they remooue their dwellings very often, as their fishing doth serve, liuing in the summer-time in tents made of seales skinnes, and in winter in houses somewhat in the ground. Wee could not particulai'ly learn their rites or cereTheywor- monies; but generally they worship the sunne, as chiefe ship the

'

)->

J

J

f

>

Sunne.

authour of their felicitie. At their first approach vnto vs, they vsed with their hands to point vp to the sunne, and tation. Their saiu- to strike their hands upon ther brests Ili/out2; as who would L

tation

•'

say, I meane no harme; which they will doe very often, and will not come neer you vntil you do the like, and then they will come without any feare at all. They burie their dead in the out-Ilands neei'e the seaside. Their manner of buriall is this :—vpon the tops of the hils they gather a company of stones togethei", and make thereof an hollow caue or graue, of the length and breadth of the bodie which they intend to burie, laying the stones somewhat close like a wall, that neyther foxes nor other such beasts may deuoure the bodies, couering them 1

Both Frobisher and Davis brought home kayaks, and one was hanging in the hall of Sir Thomas Smith's house. 2 Davis, in his list, gives the same word with the same meaning li Yliamitf", " I mean no harm" (Hakluyt Society's ed., p. 21).

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

37

with broad stones, shewing afar off like a pile of stones. And neere vnto this graue where the bodie lyeth is another, wherein they burie his bow and arrowes, with h darts and all his other prouision which hee vsed while hee was 3 ™ liuing. Hee is buried in all his apparell; and the coldnesse niture of of the climate doth keepe the bodie from smelling and stinking, although it lye aboue ground. They eat all their food raw, and vse no fire to dress their victuals, as farre as wee could perceiue. Also wee haue seene them drinke the salt-water at our shippes side; but whether it be vsuall or no, I cannot tell. Although they dresse not their meate with fire, yet they vse fire for other ££fy v8e things, as to warme them, etc. Diuers of our men were of opinion that they were man- ^^1™ eaters, and would haue deuoured vs, if they could haue eaterscaught vs. But I do not thinke they would; for if they had bin so minded, they might at one time haue caught our cooke, and two other with him, as they were filling of water at an Hand a great way from ovr ship. These three, I say, were in the ships boate, without eyther musket or any other weapon; when, as a great company of the sauages came rowing vnto them with their darts and other furniture, which they neuer goe without, and stood looking into the boate for navies, or anv old iron, which they so Naiies ana J

'

J

'

J

old Iron

greatly desire, while our men were in such a feare that j^t'Jf<Jf1"6 they knew not what to doe. At length our cooke remem- Saua«esbered that hee had some old iron in his pocket, and gaue each of them some, as farre as it would goe, with his key of his chest. And presently they all departed, without offering any harme at all: but this I speake not that I would haue men to trust them, or to goe among them vnprouided of weapons.

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OP

WILLIAM

BAFFIN. i.

A Journall of the Voyage made to Greenland1 with sise English ships and a Pinasse, in the yeere 1613. Written by MASTEK "WILLIAM

Ascension g y ^

e

BAFFIN. 2

prouidence of Almightie God wee departed from

Queenborough the thirteenth day of May with sixe good ships, viz., the Tigre, admirall; the Matthew, vice-admirall: the Sea-horse, called the Gamaliel, the reare-admirall; the Desire, the Annula,

and the Richard and Barnard,

the John and Francis shortly to follow. 1

with

3

Spitzbergen. From Purchas, Part in, lib. iv, cap. v, pp. 716 to 720. There is another account of this voyage, believed to have been written by Fotherby, which follows this journal. 3 The Fotherby Narrative tells us that Mr. Benjamin Joseph, of London, was chief captain—" a man very sufficient and worthy of his place". There were twenty-four Biscayners, the most expert whale fishers of those days, in the fleet. The Tiger, of 260 tons, was admiral; the Matthew, of 250 tons, vice-admiral; and the Gamaliel, 200 tons, rear-admiral. The other vessels were the John and Francis, 180 tons; Desire, 180 tons; and Annula, 140 tons. The Richard and Barnard was a pinnace of 60 tons, intended for further discovery. The fleet dropped down to Gravesend on April 30th, and on the 4th of May "wee entered into the Swaile at Quinborowe". On the 7th, the Royal Fleet, returning from landing the Count Palatine and the Princess Elizabeth, passed them, and there was an exchange of salutes. On the 2

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF WILLIAM BAFFIN.

39

The one and twentieth day, faire weather, the winde southwarde, wee still making to the northwards. This morning wee had sight of land on the coast of Norway, it lying east and by north off about twelue or fourteene leagues. This day, at noone, we were in the latitude of 61° 30', the variation of the compasse at Scoutes-nes is eight degrees east, it being about ten or twelve leagues off; wee hauing made a north way halfe east, about thirtie leagues. The three and twentieth, at noone, in the latitude of 65° 45', in which place the needle of declination doth dippe vnder the horizon 63° 30' by that instrument, which declineth 54 at London. The thirtieth day, about three of the clock,1 wee espied the land of Greenland,2 being about eight or nine leagues off. The southwardest part of it bare south-east and by east off it, which shortly wee perceiued to bee the land lying in 76° 55', which is called Horne-sound.3 This land 13th of May the exploring fleet sailed from the Swale. Benjamin Joseph, the general of the voyage, was a man in high repute for skill and conduct. After his return from Spitzbergen he commanded a small ship of Bristol, and brought timely relief to Waterford, when Captain Downton arrived there from the East Indies in October 1613, in sore need of provisions. At that very time the Court of Directors was recognising his claim to command one of their fleets. He appears to have made demands at first which were considered unreasonable ; but an agreement was arrived at, and in December 1613, Benjamin Joseph was appointed to command the East India Company's fleet. He himself was in the Charles, on board of which a journal was kept by Henry Crosby, master's mate (preserved at the India Office—No. 23), and his vice-admiral was the Unicorn. In 1617 Captain Joseph was slain in a fight with a Portuguese karrack. His widow Isabell petitioned the Company for a gratuity, and a sum of £40 was granted, and thankfully accepted by her son-in-law, Mr. Maddocks. 1 The Fotherby Narrative says four o'clock in the morning, all the ships being in company. 2 Spitzbergen. 3 Discovered and so named by Jonas Poole in his voyage in the Amity for the Muscovy Company, in 1610.

40

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

lyeth, by our common compasse, north north-west. Within two houres after we had sight of land, it began to snowe, and was very cold. This euening the compasse was varied thirteene degrees west. The one and thirtieth day, variable weather with snowe, and very cold, and the winde also variable; and in the afternoone the winde was at the north-east. In the morning wee espied a ship, and about noone wee spoke with her, and their master and pilot came aboord of vs; and wee A ship of knew them to bee that ship of Saint John de Luys, which deLuz. had leaue of the Companie to fish ; and they told vs that s'aniard there were eight Spaniards on the coast. Also wee espied Coast6 another ship, which we supposed to be a Frenchman, and had one Allan Sallas to their pilot. The GeneThe second of June, in the morning, about fiue of the Cuptain clocke, our generall sent our shallop to a small pinke, that Benianun

.

.

.

.

Joseph, a ]j fjhig niofflt we saw along the shoare, to bid their master witn^f1*4 and pilot come aboord vs, which presently they did. The am e ' masters name was Clais Martin of Home, and his ship was for Dunkerke, and he told vs that he was consorted with another ship that was his admirall; the captaines name was Fopp of Dunkerke, and that he was on the coast. Wee kept the master and pilot aboord of vs, and sent some of our men aboord of her, and brought her vnder our lee; and then wee sent their master aboord againe, charging them to follow vs. This afternoone we took their shallop, with fiue or sixe men, whereof two were English men, and one Scot, at the Faire foreland.1 Dutch ship. The fourth day, also faire weather. This morning was No night the first whale killed.2 We had no night since the three the 23 May. 1

The northern point of Prince Charles Island, so named by Jonas Poole in 1610. 2 Fotherby, who was in the Matthew, says that they ran before a fresh gale to the north end of Prince Charles Island, and then beat up into Sir Thomas Smith's Bay, where the fleet anchored. Then the Bis-

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

41

and twentieth of May. The fiffc day, faire weather, but very cold, the winde north.1 We sayled along the Hand, being about eighteene or twentie leagues in length, lying for the most part, by the common compasse, north and by west half westward. About nine of the clocke in the afternoone we saw our other three ships, viz., the Gamaliel, the Desire, and the Richard and Barnard, which lay there to and fro, because they could not goe into their harbour by reason of the ice ; and also because there were foure other ships in a bay or coue, called Pooppy Bay, or Nickes Coue; and also other ships on the other side in Greene Harbour. We sailed along the drift ice vntill about one or two of the clocke in the morning, at which time we came to an anchor in the entrance of the sound, because the ice came driuing out so fast. The sixt day, faire weather, the wind variable till the afternoone, at which time it came to the northwards. About three in the afternoone we weighed anchor, and Divers strangers.

about ten of the clocke we came to the foure ships lying in Pooppy Bay, two of them being Hollanders, and one a Rocheller, and the other a ship of Burdeaux. The masters of the Hollanders came aboord of our ship to speake with the generall, both of them being of Amsterdam, and cayners, " our whale stickers", went away in their boats to look out for whales off the Foreland. The rest of the men took the coppers for melting blubber, and the casks on shore, and got everything ready for boiling down. Then came the news that the Bisoayners had killed a whale, and from that time the work of boiling down went briskly forward. 1 On the 5th, word was brought from Green Harbour that five ships, Spanish and French, were come into Ice Sound, intending to fish for the whale. So the Tiger weighed anchor and made sail for Ice Sound. " Then did our Admiral continue as a wafter alongst the coast, till the 27th of June, and then he eame to us againe into Sir Thomas Smyth's Baye." A "wafler" was a term applied to ships of war, probably from their carrying flags or irajh.

42

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OP

b r o u g h t a commission g r a n t e d by the G r a u e Maurice, for to fish in this country. B u t , when they saw our K i n g s Maiestys Commission g r a n t e d to the worshipful c o m p a n i e , they told our generall t h a t they would d e p a r t this coast, hauing our general's ticket to shew t o their a d u e n t u r e r s t h a t they were there, and had made t h e i r port, a n d how h e would not suffer t h e m to fish. W e anchored close by t h e T r e n c h ship, wherein was Allane Sallis, 1 b e i n g ready t o fight if they refused to come aboord vs. So when we sent our shallop, the m a s t e r came presently, and t h e i r surgeon, who could speake E n g l i s h . A t the first, t h e y denyed t h a t Sallas was aboord of t h e m ; b u t , b e i n g hardly u r g e d , t h e y confessed t h a t hee and one Thomas F i s h e r , an English m a n , was aboord, who were both presently sent for. T h i s Sallas was their pilot, and F i s h e r was t h e i r gunner. T h e seuenth day, faire weather, we road still a t anchor. This day I obserued the latitude of t h e place, and found • Lat. 78j 24'. ^ j

n

73° 24'.

T h e variation of the compasse is, in this

place, 15° 2 1 ' west. ship of snowe.

A b o u t a n o r t h sunne, a small ship of

Biscay came into the harbour where we roade. T h e eight day, for the most p a r t snow, t h e winde southward. This day the master of the F r e n c h ship, b e i n g a ship of nine score, or two h u n d r e d , called t h e Jaques of B u r deaux, agreed with our generall t h a t he m i g h t fish on t h e coast: our generall was to have halfe t h e whales h e could kill. Also, this day the master of t h e ship of Rochel, a n d the master of the small ship of Biscay, were agreed t o d e p a r t from the coast. The n i n t h day, faire weather. This m o r n i n g t h e Gamaliel, our rear-admirall, and the Desire, weighed anchor to goe for Greene-harbour, where two ships lay, one of D u n kerke, and t h e other of Saint Sebastian in Biscay. T h e captaine of t h e Dunkirke, called F o p p , h a d beene with our generall, and told him that he would depart from this coast. Our generall gaue him leaue to take the pilot of the small 1 Allen Sallowes, an English pilot.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

43

pinke, and the other Dutch men he had taken of his, keeping only the English men and the Scots; also the two ships of Holland, with the ship of Biscay, and that of Rochel weighed anchor, and departed from this harbour. About sixe of the clocke in the afternoone came the master of the ship of Saint Sebastian aboord of vs, being brought by one of the masters mates of the Desire (they hauing taken two of his shallops) to know our generals pleasure, whether he should haue them againe or no. Our generall gaue them him againe, vpon condition that he would depart the coast. About a north north-west sunne, we weighed anchor to goe for Horne-Sound, where we heard that there were diuers ships; the wind northward; a small gale. The tenth day, faire weather, the winde at north, being very close weather. About a north sunne, we came to an anchor, in the entrance of Low Sound, where we saw two Low Sound. ships ride at anchor. Our generall sent our shallop to see what ships they were, who found them to bee the two ships of Holland. Also our long boate went on shoare, His Maiesr

a

> ties Armes

to set vp the Kings Maiesties armes vpon a low point s£f,fpCa£sse of land, lying a great way off, called Low-nesse. We set Lownessevp a crosse of wood, and nayled the armes vpon it. The thirteenth day, in the morning, it snowed very fast, being very thicke weather, the winde variable, we standing off from the land. About seuen of the clock it began to cleere vp, at which time we espied three ships; and making toward them, at length we perceiued them to be the three ships which came from the bay where we road; the winde also was at east and by south, and blew a very stiffe gale. Then we stood in for the shoare, and spent most of this day in turn vp Horne-Sound. And about a north northwest sunne, at ten a clock, wee espied six ships lying at anchor on the south side of the Sound, in a small bay. The one of them was Oaptaine Fopp, the Dunkerker, who came in before vs, and was appointed by our generall to

44

Bonnelf and Pilot.

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

come into this harbour, and there to stay for vs, and to goe to the Foreland, to haue his other ship which we kept there. Foure of them were Biscaines of Saint Sebastian; and one of them was in the harbour where we road and found the French ship. The sixt was a ship of Amsterdam wherein Thomas Bonner was master and pilot, and aboue twentie English men more. All the Biscaines came aboord o £ ^ a g g o o n e a s w e w e r e a£ a n an qhor; but Thomas

Bonner refused to come, being sent for by our generall. Our generall commanded our gunner to shoot at him, he himself discharging the second ordnance. Then presently he began to set saile, and cut his cable, thinking to get from vs j but wee hauing shot him through three or foure times, they began to weaue vs, so we sent our shallop and he came aboord. There were fiue or sixe more of the English men fetched aboord, and some of our men sent to bring her to an anchor, where she might ride safe, for shee was almost run ashoare. This was about a north sunne, or eleuen a clocke. The Biscaines were charged presently to depart, so soone as they had filled fresh water, which they said they wanted; and to bring what whale finnes they had found, or had taken, or other things. The fourteenth day, faire weather, the winde at east north-east. This morning, one of the Biscaines brought a few whale finnes aboord of vs, and the skin of a beare, which they had killed. Then was our boate-swaine sent aboord of them to search their ships, and to bid them depart. Our generall kept the Holland ship, wherein was Thomas Bonner, to the vse of the Companie. This day I obserued the latitude of this place by a quadrant of foui'e foote semi76° 56;. De diameter, and found it to stand in 76° 55': the decimation of the needle vnder the horizon is 67° 30', pointing to the variation northwards; but pointing to the southwards, it is 80°. The variation of the compasse is 12° 14' west, from the true meridian ; but from our common sayling compass it is ClllliiClUll

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

45

17°, because the compasse is touched five degrees and a halfe to the eastward, and the variation is to the westward. This day, in the afternooue, the foure ships of Biscay departed from this harbour, which is called Horne-sound; and about a north sunne, I, with the master, Thomas Sherin, went ashore with other, to set vp another crosse with the Kings Maiesties arms, cast in lead, nayled vpon it. Then I obserued the sunne vpon his north meridian, by my foresaid quadrant, and found it eleuated aboue the horizon 10° 30'; but because his height at the south meridian, and his height at the north, did not agree in finding of the latitude, I did abate fiue minutes from each, as the meane betwixt both; for his altitude at the south meridian was 36° 40', the declination 23° 29'. The fifteenth day, faire weather; the winde in the morning south, but almost calme. This day, about noone, we weighed anchor with the ship of Amsterdam, and diuers of her men were fetched aboord vs with their shipper, and some of our men were sent aboord her with one of our masters mates, called Master Spencer. All this day it was so calme, that wee were faine to towe our ship. Our carpenter did trim vp two of the Biscaine shallops, which they did leaue behind them, and they did leaue diuers hoopes and caske [s ?] staued ashore. The eighteenth day, faire weather; the winde variable, we stearing away northward. This afternoone wee met with another ship of Biscay, being a ship of two or three hundred tunnes. Our generall, as he did to the rest, caused her master and pilot to come aboord vs, to whom he shewed his commission, charging them to depart this countrey. They, seeing no rernedie, were content, so soone as they had filled fresh water. We met with them off the southward part of the Hand. Our generall being so neere Greene Harbour, where the Gamaliel and the Desire road, wee went into the Sound to see them, with this great ship

46

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

of Biscay, and the ship of Amsterdam. We found that the entrance of Greene Harbour was quite stopped with ice, and ran our ship into it, thinking to get through, but wee could not. Then wee got her out againe and came to the bay, where we roade on the other side of the sound in Pooppy Bay, or Nickes Coue. The nineteenth day, faire weather, the winde northward. This day, about twelue of the clock, we came to an anchor in the foresaid bay. This afternoone there came another ship of Saint Sebastian into the bay where wee roade; and about seuen of the clock the captain came aboord of vs, who told us that he had lost six of his men and a shallop 72» oiudae111 vpon the coast of Groineland, vpon an Hand in the latitude Grofniand. of 72°, or thereabouts. This was the master which had beene here last yeere, and made a great voyage, Master Woodcocke being their pilot. His making so great a voyage was the cause that so many ships were here this yeere. The twentieth in the morning we had news that the John and Francis was come about two days agoe, and that they had killed one and twentie whales at the Foreland, and had also killed two at Greene harbour. This day it was very close weather with some snowe; the winde north-west. This afternoone the captains of the two Biscay ships were commanded to depart this coast. The one and twentieth wee perceiued another ship standing toward vs. Wee lessened our sailes, and stayed for her to see what she was. At length we perceiued her to bee another Biscaine. About a north sunne we came to an anchor in Greene harbour, by the Gamaliel and the Desire, and the ship of Burdeaux, and the Biscaine followed vs. So soone as they were come to an anchor, their captaine came aboord of vs, to whom our generall shewed his commission, as he had done to the rest, charging him to depart those coasts, and told him that hee would take away some

danCB onSi

WILLTAM BAFFIN.

47

of their shallops. They earnestly intreated him not to take them away, and they would depart; the captaine offering his bond to our generally that if he stayed either in Greenland, Groineland, or Cherie Hand, he would willingly forfeit all he was worth. There was another whale killed in Greeneharbour, in the killing whereof there was a man slaine, and t\S^. a boate ouerwhelmed by too much haste of following him, after the harping iron was in him. The three and twentieth day, faire weather, the winde northward. This day and the last night I obserued the latitude of the place where we roade, and found it by both to bee in the latitude of 78° T; the skie at both obserua- Note!8"'' tions being very cleere, where I find that there is no sensible error betweene a south obseruation and a north, the skie being cleare. But if the skie be hasie, there will be some difference as of eight or ten miuutes, being obserued on shore by some large quadrant or other instrument for the purpose; also a south south-west moone, by south west the common compasse, maketh a fulle sea in this place.1 maketh a r

r

full Sea

The ninth of July, faire weather, the winde at north. hereThis day wee stood to the southward along the Hand; but toward night it fell calme, and then the winde came to the west. The tenth day, faire weather, but thicke and close, the winde south south-west. All this day we stood for Bel-sound.2 Our generall went on shoare this afternoone, and killed foure deere, and brought a young morse aliue with, him aboord. The eleuenth day, faire weather, but calme. This afternoone wee perceiued fiue shippes in a bay in Bel-sound. 1 On the 27th of June the Tiger returned to Sir Thomas Smyth's Bay, rejoining the Matthew. During her cruise as a wafter, she had met seventeen ships,—four from Holland, two from Dunkirk, four from St. Jean de Luz, and seven from San Sebastian. All their commanders had submitted to the English commander, find had agreed either to leave the coast or to remain upon such conditions as he proposed to them. 2 So named by Jonas Poole in 1610.

48

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OP

The winde was so calme that wee were faine to towe in our shippes, and about a north north-west sunne we came to an anchor by them, with our three ships, viz., the Tigre, admirall; the Matthew, vice-admirall; and the Richard and Barnard, hairing made all things readie for to fight. These Sue shippes which rid here, the one was a great shippe of ABiscayan Biscav, of seuen hundred tunnes,1 arid two Hollanders, ship of 700

^

tuns.

which we found the sixt of June in Pooppy-bay, and one small pinke of Amsterdam, and another smal shippe of Rochelle. This great shippe of Biscay, which we expected would have fought with vs, sent their captaine aboord of vs before we came to an anchor, and submitted themselues vnto the generall. The two ships of Amsterdam, whose masters names were these, viz., Cornelius Calias, William Vermogan, admirall, and John Jacob, vice-admirall; these two would gladly haue stood out with vs, if the Biscaine would haue assisted them. The twelfth day, faire weather. This day the ship of John Jacobs was vnderladen of such goods as shee had in her; as oyle, blubber, and morses skinnes. The thirteenth day I was sent in a shallop to Greene Harborough. The foureteenth day, thicke close weather, the winde northward; but towarde noone it began to cleare vp, and then it blew more winde. About a west sunne, we came to a small Hand, or rather a rock, where morses vse to come; where we found seauen which we killed, and knocked out their teeth, and let them lye. In this place Many are many of these rockes, where are great multitudes of of Fowie. fonle, and they are called Lizets Hands. The land all along ^s s o ^u^ °^ r0 °kes, *na* ^ ^s vnpossible for any shippe to come neere the maine, but in the sands, which are very deepe and good to come in. All this euening and night wee rowed betweene this Hand and Ice-sound.2 1 She was a ship of St. Jean de Luz, of 800 tons, called the Michael de Aristega.

2

So named by Jonas Poole in 1612.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

49

The fifteenth day, about nine or tenne o'clock, we came to the shippes in Greene Harborough, where we found that they had killed eighteene whales in all. Foure of these ^, ships were French-men, which had killed eight whales for kiUeii the Companie, according to the agreement which the generall had made with them; which was, that they should kill eight for vs, and after, what they could kill should be for themselues. Our English men had killed three in this place, and the Baskes in the Desire also three. The Desire the had taken in an hundred tunnes of oyle when wee came there, and she was to be laden so soone as she could. The seauenteenth day, also faire weather, the winde northward. This day, toward a west sunne, the master of the French shippe came from Sea-horse Bay, who went thither to speak with our generall; because Master Mason and Master Cooper had stayed his shallops from going to sea, in regard they would not obserue the orders which the generall had appointed them; which were, that those whales which our Englishmen did chase, they should not follow; nor our men should not follow the whales they chased. For the order of the Biscaines is, that whoso doth strike the first harping iron into him, it is his whale, if his iron hold. This euening, I say, he returned from Sea-horse Bay, hauing lost his labour; for the generall and Master Edge were in Bell-sound. We vnderstood by him, that they had killed some eight and thirtie whales in all; and that there was one hundred and sixtie tunnes of oyle bi ready made. The fiue and twentieth day in the morning, the Desire weighed anchor to go to the generall, and the master of the French ship also this morning went from thence to speake with the generall, because of a whale which was in strife betweene his Biscaines and ours; when, for pilfering, and for some peremptorie speeches, two of the Bochellers were ducked at our yard arme, the one on the one side, and the other on the other. This day I also

50

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

August i. obserued the latitude of this place, and found it to be Latitude77° 770 4Q,_ M ^ ^ v a r i a t i o n o f t h e c o m p a s s e is 13° 1 1 ' Variation, west.

This variation was obserued the third of August, in

13° 11'.

.

the morning; the height of the sun above the horizon was 17° 24', and the declination was 14° 41' north in the latitude of 77° 40', and his magnetical azimuth was 63 from south to east. The ninth day we had sight of Master Bonners ship, wherein was Master Marmaduke,1 who had beene to the northward as farre as Faire-hauen; and now, as he said, he was bound to the southward, to discouer beyond Point Looke-out, hauing his direction from Master Edge, as he said. Our generall told him that hee had hindered the voyage more by his absence then his discouerie would profit; and that it were best that he went back with him to the Foreland, and that he would giue no licence to go now for discouerie, because the yeare was far spent; but bad him, according to his commission, so to proceede. The twelfth day I obserued, and found the latitude of this place, by an exact obseruation, to be in Latitude79° 790 ^

T h e y

i n t h e

pooppy

B a y ha(J

g e e n

a sLip

o f E n g

.

This was Ma. Oudners

*Pof

1 Fotherby says that Thomas Marmaduke was Captain of the ViceAdmiral. He was a Hull man, and Jonas Poole mentions that in the previous year, 1612, he had gone as far north as 82°, in a ship called the Hopewell. In 1611 he was in the Spitzbergen Sea, in command of a Hull vessel, and gave the shipwrecked crew of Poole's ship, the Elizabeth, a passage home. Captain Markham (Northward Ho! pp. 42, 43) thinks that there is a mistake with regard to Marmaduke having reached 82°; arising from his commanding the Hopewell, the same vessel in which Hudson, in 1606, nearly reached that latitude. In 1617 Thomas Marmaduke of Hull presented a petition to King James. He represented that he could prove the shortest way to Cathay to be by the north-east, which for six months in the year is navigable, without impediment. He asked to be set out to make the passage at the king's charge, or for leave for himself and friends to undertake it. I cannot find what was the fate of this petition, or the subsequent history of Marmaduke.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

51

land off Black-point, and had spoken with her, who told them that they were come from Kildeene. The foureteenth day, faire weather, the wind at north north-east. This day, about terrne a clocke in the forenoone, we waied anchor to goe homeward, being sixe ships in company, viz., the Tigre admirall, the Gamaliel viceadmirall, the John and Frances, the Annula, the ship of Burdeaux, which the generall agreed to fish in Greeneharborough, and the Biscay ship which fished in Sir Thomas Smith's Bay.1 The fifteenth day very faire weather, all the forenoone almost calme; in the afternoone an easie gale at northeast. This day, about twelue a clocke at noone, wee were against Faire-Foreland, which is in the latitude of 79° 8'. }^f This night was very cleere and faire weather, and also calme, by which meanes I had very good opportunitie to finde the sunnes refraction. For, beholding it about a north f S o north-east sunne, by the common compasse, at which time the sunne was at the lowest, it was but one fifth part of his body aboue the horizon, hauing about foure fifth parts below, so neere as I could gesse. His declination for that instant was 10° 35' north, being at noone in the 2° 7' of Virgo, his daily motion was 58', whose halfe beeing nineteen2 to bee added to the former, because it was at twelue houres afore noone. I say his place at that instant was 2° 26' of Virgo, whose declination was as before, 10° 35'; the latitude of the place was 78° 47', whose complement was 11° 13', the declination being subtracted from the complement of the poles eleuation, leaueth 38', foure fiue part of which 12'; which, being subtracted from 38, leaueth Note. 26' for the refraction. But I suppose the refraction is more or lesse according as the ayre is thicke or cleare, which I 1

The Matthew, Desire, and Richard and Barnard, had previously sailed for England on the 31st of July, and arrived safely at Blackwall on the 23rd of August, well laden with oil and skins. 2 Twenty-nine ? E2

•52

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

leaue for better schollers to discusse: but this I thought good to note, for the better helpe of such as doe professe this studie. The sixteenth day also very faire weather, and for the most part calme; the winde that was, was at north-west. This morning we espied a ship out in the offen, ouer against Cold cape, which we stood with, and she also stood with vs; and when we came to her, wee found her to be the Desire, a shippe of Alborough. Our generall sent for the master and merchant aboord of vs, who certified him that they came from Killedeene, and that they had made but a bad voyage of fish; and they were come to see if we could fraight them home. The merchant was of London, Mr.Cudner whose name was Master Cudner; the masters name was oi ijonaon.

wniiam Gourdon.

Fletcher, who also brought sixe men, which Thomas Bonner had left at Cherie Hand. These sixe men had killed but one morse all this yeere at the Hand; who also told vs that William Gourdon was gone to the northwards. At noone, °

'

the three and twentieth day, I obserued the variation of Variation,

t h e c o m p a s s e > an(J foun(3 i t t o b e

1° 5 '

east-

The three and twentieth day faire weather, with a fine gale at north and by east, we stearing away south and by west halfe south, being at noone, by supposition, in the latitude of 69°, no minutes, hauing sailed, since yesterday noone, some thirty leagues south, true. The foure and twentieth day, very faire weather and cleere, the winde all the fore-noone northwards, but about noone it came to the south-east. This morning I obserued the middle starre in the great beares tayle, and found it to be in the latitude of 68° 24' about two a clocke, at which time that starre was on the meridian vnder the pole. Also I obserued the starre in the beares rump about one a clock, and found the like latitude. Also all this day we had sight OT°Ro8tends °f -^ ost Hands,1 being about ten or eleuen leagues off vs. 1 Roost, the most southern of the Lofoden Islands.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

53

Also at noone I obserued the latitude by the sunne, and found vs to be in the latitude of 68°, no minutes, which es» no min. did agree with the former obseruations by the starres. Also the variation of this place is 4° 8' east from the true ^ ^ S ' meridian, wee hauing ranne, since yesterday noone, some two and twentie leagues south and by west. Almost all the afternoon it was almost calme. The fiue and twentieth day also very faire weather, the winde this morning came to the east south-east a fine easie gale. We steered away south and by west half west ten leagues, being at noone in the latitude of 67° 5'. The variation of this place is 5° 3' east, neere to the set of our 5°3'isa5t! compasse. This euening the winde came to the south south-west, which continued about two watches. The nine and twentieth day faire weather, with a good gale of winde at north north-east. From two this last night to sixe we stood away south-west and by south; and at sixe we steered away south south-west, being' at noone, J

°

The lyings

bv obseruation, in 62 , no minutes. The land about Scoutes- of the land •>

about

nesse lyeth in this sort: from sixtie three toward sixtie two, *°s"e'8' it is nineteen leagues south south-west halfe westward; from thence ten leagues south and by west, which is two or three Hands, which are the westwardest land in Norway, lying in the latitude of 62° 44'. But whether these Islands, or a point of land which lyeth about three or foure leagues more to the north, be called Scoutesnesse, I know not. The sixt of September we entered the Thames.

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OP

WILLIAM

BAFFIN.

n.

Another account, probably written by ROBERT FOTHERBY.1 A Short Discourse of a Voyage made in the Yeare of Our Lord 1613, to the Late Discouered Countrye of Greenland; and a Briefe Discription of the same Countrie, and the Comodities ther raised to the Adventurers.

IN the month of May 1613, seaven good ships bound for Greenland,2 were sett forth from the port of London, beeing furnished with victualls and other prouision necessarie for the killing of the whale, and twenty-four Basks, who ar men best experienced in that facultie, at the chardge and aduenture of the right worshipfull Sir Thomas Smith, knight, and of the rest of the companie of merchants tradeing into Moscouia, called the Merchants of Newe Trades and Discoveries. 1

The manuscript of this journal was formerly in possession of Deacon

James Green, a merchant of Boston, who died about the beginning of the present century. His daughter, Mrs. Nabby Richmond, gave it to Benjamin R. Howland in 1808. From him it passed to the Honourable John Howland, the late President of the Rhode Island Historical Society, who transferred it to the American Antiquarian Society in 1814. The manuscript is a folio, with wide margins, neatly written and illustrated with a map of Spitzbergen (mutilated), and sketches in water-colour. The leaves are stitched into a thick parchment cover. I t was first printed in the Transactions and Collections of the American Antiquarian Society (1860), vol. iv, p. 285, and edited by Mr. Samuel F. Haven, who gives reasons for the belief that Robert Fotherby was the author. 2 Spitzbergen.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

55

In this fleet, Mr. Beniatnin Joseph, of London, was chiefe captaine and commissioner, a man very sufficient and worthy of his place. A shippe called the Tiger, of burthen 260 tonnes, was admirall; the Mathew, of 250 tonnes, vice admirall; and the Gamaliel, of 200 tonnes, rere admirall; the fourth, the John and Francis, of 180 tonnes; the sixth, the Anula, of 140 tonnes ; and the seuenth, the Richard and Barnard, a piniace of 60 tonnes, intended for further discouerye. Wee came to Grauesend the 30th of April, where we staied but one tide, and then weyed anchor about 6 a'clock at the euening, and plied to Tilberry Hope, remaining there all night. The next morneing, beeing the first of Maye, wee anchored againe in Lee Eoade, where we continued till the 4th of Maye, the wind keeping contrarie to us, blew betwixt north and north-east. The 4th daie, about 3 a'clock afternoone, wee entered into the swaile at Quinborowe,1 and rid at anchor there till the 13th of Maye. In which time, namelie, on the 7th of Maye, the kings ships came by us on their retourne out of Holland, from transporting the Count Palatine, and the Ladie Elizabeth, the kings onely daughter. Before they came neere us wee caused our flaggs to be furl'd up, and when they passed by us, our admirall shott off 7 peeces of ordnance, our vice admirall 5, and our rere admirall 3 ; and the rest of our fleet, ech of them, one. The Great Admirall of England, called the Prince, gaue us 3 peeces, and the rest of the kings ships each of them one.2 The 13th of Maye, about 9 a clock in the morneing, 1

Queenborough. The Princess Elizabeth, who was destined to experience so much misfortune, was married to the Count Palatine, Frederic V, on St. Valentine's Day, with an expense and magnificence before unknown in England. They were conveyed to Flanders in great state by the Lord Admiral, the Earl of Nottingham, with eight of the king's ships, besides transports for baggage. 2

56

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

wee came forthe of the Swaile, and passed by the Sandes called the Spitts, holdeing our course north-east and north north-east. °™ from" T h e 1 4 t n daie > a b o u t noone, wee lost sight of the CroEngiand. merghiei^ which is a cape on the coast of Norfolke, and was the last land of England that we sawe, being outward bound. Then wee stear'd awaie north, maintaineing that course till the 22nd of Maye. On the 21st daie wee had lost sight of land againe upon the coast of Norwaye, before wee came to the bay of Rosse, beareing from us east and by north, and distant about nine leagues, in the latitude of 61° 20', found by obseruation. Then, on the 22nd wee directed our course more easterlie, as north-and-by-east, and north north-east. The 24th, wee were in the latitude of 67° 36', while the sunne was in the horison, at the time of midnight, and after that time wee had continuall dailight dureing our voyage; till, in our retourne homeward, wee had the sunne againe in the circle of the horison, when he came to the north of our meridian, in the latitude of 75°, on the 2nd of August. e liued ra the ^ e 3Qbh of Maye, about 4 a clock in the morneing, wee Greenland, descried our wisht-for coast of Greenland,1 being all our ships in company; and wee had bene but 17 daies at sea, viz., from the 13th till the 30th of Maye, haueing sailed, according to the difference of latitude and longitude, by an arch of a great circle 500 leagues, and according to the ship's way, by our account on dead reckoning, 514 leagues. Then we plied nearer to the shoare, and discerned the mountains to be couered with snowe; notwithstanding, wee had no trouble with ice all this while, as wee expected; for it was almost all voided er wee came ther. Nowe wee coasted along towards Sr. Thomas Smyth's Baye, passing 1 Spitzbergen.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

57

on the west side of Prince Charles his Hand, by reason of a barre that is betwixt the iland and the maine continent of the land, which hinders us to passe with our ships that waie. The 1st of June, wee were becalm'd on the south-west side of the iland, about fiue leagues from the shoare, where I obserued the north sunne, at the time of midnight, to be 11° 15' high; so, concludeing the latitude in that place to be 78° 5' (the sunne's declination for that daie being 23° 10'). The 2nd of June, haueing gotten a little more northward, and beeing on the best side of the iland, againe becalm'd, about three leagues distant from the shoare, I and Joh. Wilmote, one of the master's mates, with 6 more of our sailors, went ashore in a Biska shallop, purposeing to kill some deare and some wild fowle; and to that end wee took with us such dogs as wee had in our ship,1 viz., a grewhownd, a mastiffe, and a water spaniell, and two fowleing-pieces, with shott and powder. We landed upon a hard shingle, comeing close to the shore with our boat, there being no ice to keep us off; notwithstanding, upon fiue or six rocks, near the shore side, there laie a great quantitie of ice, which couered them in such sorte, that the hollowness or distances betwixt one rock and another, appeared under the ice like vaulted caues. After that wee were landed upon the shingle, the ice or congealed snowe was so high upon the shoare, that it withstood vs like a strong wall, to pass anie further; wherefore wee wer faine one to help up another, it beeing mor than a man's height in thickness, and haueing manie long isicles hanging in diuers places. When wee were up, and had gone about two roods, wee might perceaue that wee were upon the ground or sand; yett could not see it by reason of the snowe. Then wee 1

The Mathew.

58

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

did look about if we could see any deere; and presentlie espied one buck, whereupon we dispersed ourselues seuerall waies, to gett betwixt him and the mountaines, slipping • sometimes to the mid leg into the snowe, which, for the most part, did beare vs above. In our waie wee went ouer two or three bare spots that were full of flatt stones, whereon ther grew a certaine white mosse, which, it seems, the deare doe feed upon at the first beginning of their somer; for theise spotta were full of their ordure; and besides, wee then sawe not any other thing for them to Hue on. Before that wee came near the buck which wee first espied, wee sawe four more not farre from him, and two in another place, and therefore we hounded at the fairest heard; but then they came all one waie together, and (avoideing all circumstances) we kilFd three of them, being all bucks, which we found then to be but pore rascals, yet verie good meat, as we presentlie made tryall and tasted. For, finding ther (as ther is in all places of the countreye) great store of drift wood, which the sea bestowes on the barren land, and being also well prouided of hunter's sauce, wee made a fier and broiled some of our venison, and did eat thereof with very good appetites; much like to that in Virgil, of .ZEneas and his companions :— " Ac primum silici scintillam exaudit Achates1 Susceptiq. ignem lignix2 Pars in frusta secant verubusque3 trementia figunt Turn victu reuocamus vires."

Beeing thus well refreshed, wee were willing to have killed more venison, because wee needed not to use much labour in hunteing for our game; for the deare that had latelie escaped us were not gon farre from us. But the 1 2 3

Master's mate. " Folia enim nulla cadunt ubl est neq flos nee arbos.'1 Wooden spit.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

59

aire began to be so thicke and foggie, that wee aduised better to goe presentlie a-board with that which wee had alreadie gotten, least that the fog, increasing, might haue made vs lose sight of our ship; therefore wee made speedie waie towards her, and came aboord about 11 o'clock, before the time of midnight. Then wee continued still becalm'd till the next morning, and then were so befriended with a fresh gale of winde that wee sailed to the north end of the Hand with a flowen sheat; and makeing manie boards, wee plied into Sir Tho. Smyth's Baye, where we anchored about 8 a clock thateuening. When we came to an anchor, then the Basks, our whale ^ strikers, went presentlie back againe to the Foreland3 with |^,^ their shallops, ther to attend the coming-in of the whales; ay6and when our men had taken some rest, they carried ashoare our coppers cask, and other prouisions for makeing of oile, and prepared all things ready for use as speedilie as we could. For newes was brought us in the morneing, that the Basks had kiFd a whale; therefore we hasted to sett up our fournaces and coppers, and presentlie began work, which we continued (God be thanked) without any want of whales, till our voyage was made; not receaueing anie intermission of rest, but onlie on the Saboth daie. For when some slept, others wrought; and haueing a continual daie, wee alowed no time of night for all men to sleepe at once, but maintained work from Sundaie about 5 a clock afternoone, till Saturdaie at 12 o'clock, in time of midnight, dureing which time our men receaued no other recreation from work and sleep, but onlie the time of eateing their meat, whereof they had sufficient, thrice in every twenty-four howers; and besides, some of them had alowed aquauitse at ech four hower's end. The next daie after that we came into harbour, word was brought our general from Green Harbour (a place where 1 The northern extremity of Prince Charles's Island.

60

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

three ships of our fleet put in to make this voyage) that fiue ships, French and Spanish, wer come into Ice Sound, and intended there to fish for the whale; upon which occasion the Tiger, our admirall, weyed anchor the 5th of June, and being well man'd with sixty sufficient men, went out of harbour from us towards Ice Sound, where, when he came, he found the aforesaid ships, according to the information, and anchored close by them. Then he hailed the captains and masters of theise ships to come presentlie aboord him, which they performeing accordinglie, he shewed them the King's Majesties patent, graunted to the Merchants of Newe Trades and Discoueries, and thervvithall his comission, forbidding them, by the authoritie thereof, to make anie longer aboad ther, or in anie parte of the countrey, at their perills. Whereupon they, not knowing how to remedie themselues, did all promise to departe, desireing a note from our general, wherby they might certefie their setters-forth, that they had bene in the countrye, except one ship of Burdeux, called the Jaques, wherof was Maister Peirce de Siluator, who was permitted to staie, upon condition that he should first kill 8 whales for us, and then to kill more what he could for himself, and by this conclusion he made a good voyage; for he kil'd 12 whales in all, wherof we had eight, and he had 4. Then did our admirall continue as a wafter alongst the coast till the 27th of June, and then he came to us againe into Sir Thomas Smyth's Baye. In which time of his absence he had mett with 17 ships, viz., 4 of Holland, 2 of Dunkirk, 4 of St. John de Luz, and 7 of San Sebastian's. The commanders of all those ships had submitted to our general; and were content either to departe out of the country, or els to staie upon such condicons as he propounded unto them. On the 8th of June, about l l a clock, before the time of midnight, Mr. Marmaduke, who was ctiptaine of our vice

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

61

admirall, and I, with 6 or 7 sailors, went in a shallop to the beach at the barre, marked with a9,1 to cause our men gather drift wood together, and laie it readie at the waters side, to lade a small Flemish flie boat, that was to come hither to fetch it. Upon this beach, wee saw lieing ther, by our estimacion, neare 300 morses, at the verie point or end of it; but wee could not go too near them, for disturbing them. When the flie boat came to take in the wood, Mr. Marmaduke and I came awaie in the shallop; and haueing present occasion to use a peece of straight timber about our crane, before the flie boat could be loaded, wee caused the men that rowed the shallop to towe a tree after them. Nowe, when wee had put off a little from the shoare, there came flue or six morses swimming hard by us and about us; some of them coming so near the sterne of the bote that we called for our launces, purposeing to strike them. They would, diuers times, laie their teeth upon the tree which we towed (as it were scratching the wood with their teeth), but wee still rowed awaie, and at length they left us. Then we passed through a great deale of small ice, and sawe, upon some peices, two morses, and upon some, one ; and also diuers seales, layeing upon peices of ice. The 19th of June wee had a verie great storme, the winde beeing at south south-west, which was like to haue driuen our ships upon the shoare; and haueing three dead whales floating at the sternes of our ships, wee were glad to cut the hawsers that they were tyed in, and to lett them driue a shoare; because we feared that otherwise they would haue caused our ships either to break their cables, or to haile home their anchors, and to be driuen upon the shoare. When the storm ceast, haueing continued about 6 howers, the water fell from the shoare, and wee saw two of the whales lie cast upon the shoare, and the water fain from 1 The bar may be see on the map, but the " a" is wanting.

62

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

them againe. The third whale was driuen further off, but wee found him againe cast upon the shoare, hauing lost all his finnes1 out of his mouth. Ther was also, at the same time, 5 whale's heads driuen ashoare, with toungs and finnes in them, wherby some labour was saued, which should otherwise haue been bestowed about hailing them ashoare, for the cutting out of the fins. The 21st of June, there came a white beare down from the mountaines, and took into Fresh-water Baye, which is the water you see marked with e, within Sr. Thomas Smith's Baye,2 and Thomas Wilkinson, one of the master's mates in the Matthew, vice-admirall, went forth in a shallop, and shott him with a peece as he was swimming, and kil'd him, and brought him to the shoare. In this harbour ther haue been killed mor whales than in anie other, but verie fewe deare; notwithstanding ther haue been slaine in this country, this voyage, about four hundred deare. Wee kil'd very few morses, by reason the whales came so fast, that wee could not have afifctopportunitie to goe about that buisines ; although ther was said to be at one time about 500 morses upon the beach before mencioned; to which place wee went, prepared for their slaughter, the sixt of Julie, and found ther but about 40, wherof wee killed 32, and wee took their hides, their fat, and their teeth. We killed also good store of wild fowle, as wild geese, culuerdumes, willocks, and such like, and some white land partridges. Wee caught manie young foxes, which wee made as tame and familiar as spaniell-whelpes. I brought one of them out of the country, till we came to the coast of England, and ther he died. 1

Whale-bone they called whale's fins. The position here referred to, belonged to a part of the map that was mutilated; and, although the outline has been restored, the locality above-mentioned cannot be precisely indicated. 2

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

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On the 24th of June, the Mathew began to take in hir ladeing, and was fully freighted the 6th of July with 184 tonnes of oyle, and 5,000 finnes, which wer in 100 bundles, each containeing 50. On the 8th of July the Mathew, and the Richard and ancW^out Barnard (which was laded with oile and finnes), weighed Sm. Baye. anchor forth of Sir Thomas Smyth's Baye, with purpose to come presentlie for England; and the Tiger, our admirall, came also forth with us to waft us alongst the coast of Greenland.1 But, putting into Bel Sound the 11th of July, expecting to find some strangers there, wee espied accordinglie 5 ships at anchor on the west side of Joseph's Baye. One of them seemed unto us to be a verie great ship, as indeed she was; and other two of them seemed also to be good stowt ships. And therefore wee, supposing them to be such as would withstand vs, resolued to feight with them, and made spedie preparation accordinglie, hanging our waist-cloths and clearing our decks, that the ordnance might have room to plaie; and made readie all our munition, ech one addressing himself with a forward resolucion to perform a man's parte so well as he could. This was about 9 o'clock, before the time of midnight, the sunne shining very bright, and the aire being very cleare, and so calme that wee caused ye saylers with boats and shallops to rowe ahead of our ships, and towe them into the harbour. When wee came neare them, the captain of the great ship, whose name was Michael de Aristega (his ship being of St. John de Luz, of burthen 800 tonnes), came in a shallop abord our admirall, submitting himself and his goods unto our generall, and tould him that ther were two ships of the Hollanders, who had insulted over him, and would not suffer him to fish for the whale but upon such condicons as they propounded unto him, namely, that the Hollanders, hauing but 3 shal1

By Greenland, in this narrative, is always meant Spitzbergen.

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lops, and he 7 furnished with whale strikers, they should all joine together; and the Hollanders not onlie to haue the one-half of all the whales that should be kil'd, but also to haue the first whale that was stricken wholie to themselves, ouer and besides the half of the rest. And he further tould the general that the Hollanders would haue persuaded him to combine with them against us, and to beate us out of the countrye. Then the generall willed him to goe aboard againe of his own ship, and keepe his men in quietnes, and he would deale well enough with the Hollanders. So, passing further on, they were knowen to be 2 ships of Amsterdam, which our admirall had formelie mett withall, and dischardged to staie in ye country. Then, chored" comeing by close to them, our admirall anchored on one side of Joseph™ them and our vice-admirall on the other; but they, as men unwilling to be depriued of the ritches they had gotten, allthough unable by force to hold them, kept out their flags —the one in the maine-top, and the other in the fore-top, as admirall and vice-admirall. Then our generall comanded the maistei's to come aboard his ship, which they, doeing, he chardged them with the breach of their promise formerlie made unto him—viz., that they would departe out of the country. Then, after some other speeches, he, not finding them willing to resigne the goods they had gotten— as whale oil and finnes—tould them that they must not think to carrie anie of it awaie, seeing that they did so sleightlie esteeme the King's ma'ties grant formerlie shewed them; therefore, he bad them go againe to their owne ships, and they should have half an hower's space to consider and aduise with themselues what to doe ; and if they thought fitt to give him further answer before the glasse were runne out, then good it were ; otherwise, if they would not then yield their goods, he would feight with them for them. So ech of them went aboard his own ship, and, without anie long deliberation caused their flags to be taken in; and

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retourniiig to our generall, yeilded their goods to our disposing. Nowe, although it was intended that our two laded ships should go presentlie for England notwithstanding, it was thought fitting not to leave our admirall alone amongst his offended neighbours ; and, therefore, wee staled till the two Hollanders were gon, who (being dispossessed of some oile and finnes they had alreadie stowed in their ships, and also of some dead whales that were floateing at their ship's side) went forth of harbour, one of them the loth, and the other the 18th of July. The great ship of St. John de Luz staied still, the captaine of hir being content that his men should hould on their work, and his whale-strikers to continue fishing, upon condicon granted that he should onelie haue one-half the oile he should make. There were also in the same harbour 2 small ships, the one of Biska, and the other a Flemish flie boat; besides another little pinace of St. John de Luz which was on the east side of the iland, within L. Elesmere Baye, marked with b. On the 23rd of July, about 9 o'clock in the euening, wee sent forth two shallops with men, to goe kill some venison, who retourned againe with 17 bucks and does slaine; yet had they no dog with, them, onelie peeces; and they brought also aboard the skinne of a white bear, which they had kil'd. The 25th July, the Desire came to us in to Joseph's Bay, out of Green Harbour, and tooke in thirty tonnes of blubber, to make up hir full ladeing; for shee was to come with us, one of the first, for England. The 29 bh of July wee had some trouble with great ice; wee were troubled

the waters being verie rough, and the winde bloweing hard with ice. at east south east, which brought some ilands of ice towards our ships, wherof some fell 'thwart our causes, so that wee were faine, with pikes and oares, to keepe it cleare of our F

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ships; and also glad to lett fall our sheat-anchor, to keep us from being driuen upon the lee shoare. In this harbour, ther was killed a great store of venison, 3 or 4 white beares, and some sea morses, which the Hollanders had slaine and flayed before wee came thither; for ther laie their bodies, without either fatt, skinnes, or teeth. One thing more I obserued in this harbour, which I haue thought good also to sett down. Purposeing, on a time, to walk towards the mountaines, I, and two more of my companie, ascended up a long plaine hill, as wee supposed it to be; but hauing gon a while upon it, wee perceued it to be ice. Notwithstanding, we proceeded higher up, about the length of half a mile, and as we went, sawe manie deepe rifts or gutters on the land of ice, which were crackt downe thorowe to the ground, or, at the least, an exceeding great depth; as we might well perceiue by heareing the snowe water run belowe, as it does oftentimes, in a brook whose current is somewhat opposed with little stones. But for better satisfacon, I brake down some peeces of ice with a staffe I had in my hand, which, in their falling made a noise on ech side, much like to a peice of glasse throwen downe the well within Douer Castle, wherby wee did aestimate the thicknes or height of this ice to be thirty fathomes. This huge ice, in my opinion, is nothing but snowe, which from time to time has, for the most parte, bene driuen of the mountaines; and so continueing and increasing all the time of winter (which may be counted three quarters of the yeare), cannot possiblie be consumed with the thawe of so short a sorher, but is onelie a little dissolued to moisture, wherby it becomes more compact, and with the quick succeeding frost is congealed to a firme ice. And thus it is like still to encrease, as (I think) it hath done since the world's creation. On Saturday, the 31st of Julye, about 5 o'clock in the

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afternoone, wee weyed anchor out of Joseph's Bay to come y;eecam >

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for England, namelie, the Mutthew, the Desire, and the laudBiclianl and Barnard; leauing ther our admirall the Tiger, and the great ship of St. John de Luz. At 9 o'clock that euening wee weare at sea, about 6 leagues from the land, and then directed our course for Cherrie Hand, south and by east. The next daie, being the 1st of August, about 8 a clock before noone, there came a shallop aboard the Desire, with 11 Dutchmen that belonged to one of the Hollander's ships that we had latelie sent forth of Bel Sound. The reason of their so comeing was this : sixe of these men had gon ashoare from their ship to kill some venison, and landeing at the time of a high water, they made fast their shallop, and so left her, safe enough, as they supposed, and went up into the land ; but when the water fell ag'aine, the shallop was splitt upon a rock, and by that meanes they were forced to staie ther; nowe, they that were in the ship, considering that their fellowes staied verie long, began to doubt of some unwelcome euent, that hindered their retourne; and therfore they sent 5 men more, in another shallop, to knowe the cause of their so long absence. When these men last sent forth came ashoare, they found the other men, who tould them the occasion of their staie. Then went they all aboard the shallop, and rowed towards their ship; but the aire was growen to be verie mistie, and such a thick fog increased, that they could not by anie meanes find their ship, wherfore they were faine to row to the shoare againe. Then followed stormie weather, the winde bloweing of the shoare, which caused the ship to haile further of to sea; so that when the aire was cleeare, notwithstanding, they could not see her; wherby they were much discouraged, being in a place that could yeild them but little comforte. And there they contynued 8 daies, in which time they lieued with the flesh of 2 bucks and a beare, which they had

Eng-

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killed, being eleuen men; and mor they could not kill, because their powder was spent. Then seeing our ships come by, they rowed fast and came aboard of us; and so wee brought them into England, wher they had some monie alowed them for their work at sea, by the Company of Moscouy Merchants, although (God be praised) wee neuer stood any need of their helpe; and so they were free to departe homeward, when they could gett shipping. On the 3rd of August wee were about 10 leagues distant from Cherry Hand, but could not see it by reason of ill weather; the winde being contrarie, not suffering us to touch ther, as wee intended; therfore wee steered awaie, south-and-by-west and south-south-west, for England. After this daie the sunne began to sett, and to be depressed under the horizon at midnight; the nights began to lengthen, and starres to beare vewe. On the 16th of August, Mr. Greene, one of the master's mates, died in the Matthewe, about 10 a clock before noone; and, about 4 a clock in the afternoone he was cast ouerboard, and a peice of ordnance shott of. ved The 18th of August, about 5 aclock in the morneing, England w e e ^"e^ ™ w 'th the coast of England, and descried land about HuntclifF Foot, which is northward from Scarborough, on the coast of Yeorkshire, and was the first land that wee sawe after wee lost sight of Greenland. The next daie, about 3 a clock afternoone, wee anchored in Winterton Eoade, which is six miles from Yarmouth. anchored in Then I caused the shallop to be taken out, and 6 sailors winterton

A

;

£0 Beft me a g n o a r e j within 2 miles of Yarmouth, wher I lodged that night; and having prouided a horse, I rid out of the towne the next morneing at 9 o'clock, being Friday, and came to London at 3 a clock afternoone, on Saturday, not haueing receaued anie sleepe at all betwixt Yarmouth and London. Our ships came up to Blackwall on the Tuesday next after; and, so soone as they had deliuered

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their goods, the other 4 ships of our fleet came also safe home with their ladeings; and thus, by the mercie of God, we ended our voyage with good successe. To God, therfore, be praise and glory for euer. Amen. A Briefe Description of the Country of Greenland, otherwise called King James his New Land. Greenland is a countrie beareing from England northward, nearest upon the pointe of the compasse north-andby-east. The south-most parte of it is distant from the Arcticque Circle 10° northwards namelie, in the latitude of 76° 30'. This country hath bene discouered by the English almost to the parallel of 83°, which is but 7° eleuation distant from the North Pole, and therefore but 140 leagues from that point, upon the superficies of the earth or water (whither it be), where the Pole shal be our zenith, and the Eequinoctiall our horizon. In the latitude of 76° (which wee made the greatest parte of our voyage this yeare), the sunne, when he entereth into the 1° of Cancer, makeing the longest daie and shortest night to all places betweene the Equator and the Polar Circle, is in his meridinal altitude, or greatest distance from the horizon, 34° 30' high; and at the time of his comeing to the north, is still apparent aboue the horizon 12° 30'. The compasse varieth on this place, from the true meri- Se"co™ °£ dian, or line of north and south, neare 20°, the north end passe of the needle inclineing so much towards the west. The nature and condicon of this country of Greenland is verie much different from the name it hath; for I think ther is no place in the world, yett known and discouered, is lesse green than it. For when wee first arriued ther, which was on the 30th of Maye, the ground was all couered with snowe, both the mountaines and the lowe lands, saue onelie some few spotts that were full of flatt stones, wheron

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ther grewe a certaine white inosse which, it seems, the deere doe feed upon at the first beginning of their sommer; for theise bare spotts wer verie full of their ordure; and besides, wee could not see anie other thing for them to feed upon. The thawe began this yeare about the 10th of June, at which time there began to spring up, in some places where the snow was melted, a certaine stragling grasse, with a blewish flower, much like to young heath or ling, which grows upon moreish grounds m the north parts of England. And this is that wher with all the deare, in a short time, become exceeding fatt; but how they Hue in the time of extreame winter, when al is couered with snowe, I cannot imagine. Yet the meanes of their preseruacon is not more strange to man's capacitie than is their creation; and therfore we must knowe that He who made the creature, hath also ordained that he shal be fed; although, to our understandings, ther is not any food to sustaine them. In the moneths of June, Julye, and the beginning of August, ther is often times warme and pleasant weather; but, in the other moneths, certaiiilie uery uncomfortable. For the temperature of the winter time maie be iudged, by the qualitie of the place, to be extreame could, especiallie dureing that time wherein the sunne shal be altogether depressed under the horizon, which, in the former latitude of 79°, continues from the 11th of October till the 10th of Februarye, and contrarilie it is eleuated altogether aboue the horizon from the 9th of April till the 14th of Auo-ust; the rest of the time is an intercourse of long daie and short night, and contrarilie of short daies and long nights. The country afoardeth great plentie of fresh water in all places, which proceeds from the snowe, and therfore there can be no want thereof at anie time, for ther is alwaies snowe, and (I think) euer hath bene since snowe first fell upon the earth. Besides, I found ther, within Sr. Thomas

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Smyth's Baye, a very pleasant spring, neare the water side, boiling (as it were) and workeing up sand, euen as our springs doe in England; being as pleasant water as anie I euer tasted in England. The com odities of the countrie, hitherto knowen, are chieflie whales and sea morses. The whale yeilds oyl and finnes; and the morse yeilds oyl, hydes, and teeth of good valewe, whereof he hath but two, and they growe in his uppermost jawe. Ther be also white whales and seales, which were thought not to be worthy of time and labor to kill them, seeing that wee wer iinploied about the aboue mentioned comodities. Wee sawe very fewe fishes ther, or rather none at all; sane onelie one cod, which was caught with a baited hook in Green Harbour. But the Basks, our whale strikers, doe saie that they haue sundrie times seene good store of salmon. Upon this land ther be manie white beares, graie foxes, and great plentie of deare; and also white partridges, and great store of white fowle, as cueluerduns, wilde geese, sea pigeons, sea parots, willocks, stint, guls, and diuers others, wherof some are unworthy of nameing as tasteing. The land also doth yeild much drift wood, whales finnes, morses teeth, and some times unicorn homes, which are supposed to be rather of some sea creature, than of anie land beast. And theise things the sea casteth forth vpon the shoare, to supplie the barrenes of the fruitles land, which, by the Diuine Prouidence, hath sufficient to maintaine these unreasonable creatures which ther wee found, but by all likelihood was never yet inhabited by anie natiues that beare the shape of man, the country being altogether destitute of necessaries, wherewithall a man might be preserued in the time of winter. I haue thought good but to sett downe what was written concerning this country by one of Amsterdam, that was this yeare in Greenland (with whom I thus sometimes conuersed)

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as it is sett forth in printe by some of Holland, and (with other things concerning this present voyage) is inserted in a late edition of Hudson's Disconeries :—" Hasc pessima et frigidissima est regio mundi, undique rupes, montes, lapides ; tanta ibi aquarum terrain inundantium copia, ut vestigia hominum non admittat; maxima glaciei ibi copia, tantaque montium glaeialium multitudo, ut ab ipsa natiuitate Christi, concreuisse videantur; tanta enim niuium abundantia, ut fidem superet. Cernis abundat et vrsis, et vulpibus; cerui plane sunt albi coloris. Admiror tantos ceruorum greges, vnde viuant, cum regio niuibus tegatur, et plane sit sterilis. Auibus luxuriat, maxime annseribus minoribus qui turmatim conueniunt."1

The manner of killing the whale, and of the whole proceedings for performing of the voyage. The whale is a fish, or sea beast, of a huge bignesse, about 60 feet long, and 18 feet thick. His head seems to be one-third parte of his whole quantitie. His finnes (which wee call whale bone in England) doe growe, and are wholie included within his spacious mouth, being fastened, and, as it were, rooted in his uppermost jawe, spreading on both sides of his toung, in nomber more than 260 on one, side, and as manie on the other side. The 1 The following note is by Mr. Haven, the American editor:— "The title of the book here referred to is ' Descriptio ac Delineatio geographica Detectionis Freti, sive Transitus ad Occasum, supra Terras Americanas, in Cbinam et Japonem'. Amst., 1613, 4to. In it the above passage occurs as a quotation, in italics, preceded by the following remark: Hsec vera esse, fidem faciunt testes oculati reduces, etiam literse Navarchi Thomae Bonaert et Seinmij, cujus hsee verba, sub finem, in literis ad patrem de qualitate hujus regionis.' " This Thomas Bonaert may be no other than Thomas Bonner, who commanded a Dutch ship at Spitzbergen, which was captured by the English, and sent northward for discovery under Master Marmaduke. (" Baffin's Narrative" in Purchas, vol. iii, pp. 717, 719).

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longest finnes are placed in the midest of his mouth/ and the rest doe orderlie shorten, more and more, both backwards and forwards, from 12 feet to less than 3 ynches in length. His eies are not much bigger then the eyes of an oxe, and his bodie in fashion round, with a very broad spreading taile, which is of a rough and solid substance, and therefore it is used for to make chopping blocks, to chop the whales fatt upon (which we call blubber) ; and of other like matter, are also his two swimming finnes, which serue, at some times, for the same use. The whale comes often aboue water, and will comonlie spowte 8 or 9 times before he goe under againe, by which spowteing of water wee maie discerne him when he is 2 or 3 leagues distant from us. When he entres into the sounds, our whal killers doe presentlie sallie forth to meet him, either from our ships, or els from some other place more conuenient for that purpose, where to expect him, makeing very speedie waie towards him with their shallops. But, most comonlie, before they come near him, he will be gon downe under water, and continue, perhaps, a good while er he rise againe; so that some times they rowe past him, and therfore are they alwaies very circumspect, 1

The description given by Purchas begins as follows: "The whale is a fish or sea-beast of a huge bignesse—about sixty-flue feet long and thirty-fiue feet thicke. His head is a third part of all his bodie's quantitie; his spacious mouth contayning a very great tongue and all his finnes, which we call whale finnes. These finnes are fastened or rooted in his upper chap, and spread over his tongue on both sides of his mouth ; being in number about two hundred and fifty on one side, and as many on the other side. The largest finnes are placed in the midst of his mouth", etc. Mr. Haven, the American editor, observes:—" The above extract will suffice to show the resemblance between the description of Purchas relating to this subject and those of this narrative. The inference appears to be a reasonable one, that, if Fotherby was the author of the notes used by Purchas in compiling his account, he was also the author of this narrative, as the similarity of it, in the two, is too great to be accidental. Purchas has not improved the accuracy of the statement by altering the figures.

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lookeing if they can discerne his waie under the water (which they call his wake), or els see him further off by his spowteing, being risen. Then, comeing neare him, they rowe resolutlie towards him, as though they intended to force the shallop vpon him. But so soone as they come within stroak of him, the harponier, (who stands up readie in the head of the boat,) darts his harping iron at him out of both his hands, wherwith the whale being stricken, he presentlie discends to the bottom of the water, and therfor the men in the shallop doe weire out 40, 50, or 60 fathoms of rope—yea, sometimes 100, or more, according as the depth requireth. For vpon the sockett of harping iron ther is made fast a rope, which lies orderlie coiled up in the sterne of the boat, which, I saie, they do weire forth.untill they perceaue him to be riseing againe, and then they haile in some of it, both to giue him the lesse scope, and also that it maie be the stronger, being shorter. For when he riseth from the bottom, he comes not directlie up aboue the water, but swimmes awaie with an uncontrowled force and swiftnes, hurrying the shallop after him, with hir head so close drawen downe to the water, that shee seemes ever readie to be hailed under it. When he hath thus drawn hir perhaps a mile or more—which is done in a verie short time, considering her swiftnes—then will he come spowteing aboue the water; and the men rowe up to him, and strike him with their long launces, which are made purposelie for that use. In lancing of the whale, they strike him as near his swimming finne, and as lowe under water, as they can conuentlie, to peirce into his intralls. But when he is wounded, he is like to wrest the launce out of the strikers hand; so that sometimes two men are faine to pluck it out, although but one man did easilie thrust it in. And now will he frisk and strike with his tail very forceablie, sometimes hitting the shallop, and splitting hir asunder, sometimes, also, maihmeing or killing some of the men. And

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for that cause, ther is alwaies two or 3 shallops about the killing of one whale, that one of them maie relieue and take in the men out of another, being splitt. When he hath receaued his deadlie wound, then casteth he forth blood where formerlie he spowted water; and before he dies he will sometimes drawe the shallops 3 or 4 miles from the place wher he was first stricken with the harping iron. When he is dyeing, he most comonlie tourneth his bellie uppermost, and then do the men fasten a rope, or small hauser, to the hinder parte of his bodie, and with their shallops (made fast one to another) they towe him to the ships with his taile foremost; and then they fasten him to the sterne of some ship apointed for that purpose, while he is cutt up in manner as followeth. Two or three men cotne in a boat, or shallop, to the side of the whale, one man holdeing the boat close to the whale with a boat-hook, and another, who stands either in the boat or upon the whale, cutts and scores the fatt, which we call blubber, in square-like peices, 3 or 4 feet long, with a great cutting knife. Then, to raise it from the flesh, ther is a crab, or capstowe, sett purposelie upon the poop of the ship, from which ther discends a rope with an iron hook at the end of it, and this hook is made to take fast hould of a peice of the fatt, or blubber, and as, by tourning the capstowe, it is raised and lifted up, the cutter, with his long knife, loosest it from the flesh, even as if the larde of a swine were, by peece and peece, cut off from the leane. When it is in this manner cleane cutt off, then doe they lower the capstowe, and lett it downe to float vpon the water, makeing a hole in some side or corner of it, wherby they fasten it vpon a rope. And so they proceed to cutt off more peeces, making fast together 10 or twelue of them at once, to be towed ashoare at the sterne of a boat or shallop. Theise peices, being brought to the shoare side, ar, one by one, drawen vpon the shoare by the helpe of a high crane ther placed, and at

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length are hoised up from the ground over a vessell which is sett to receaue the oile that runnes from it as it is cutt into smaller peices; for whilest it hangeth thus in the crane, two men doe cutt it into little peices, about a foot long and half a foot thick, and putt them into the forsaid vessel from which it is carried to the choppers by two boies, who, with little flesh-hooks, take in ech hand a peice, and so convey it into tubbs, or ould casks, which stand behinde the choppers, out of which tubbs it is taken againe, and is laid for them, as they ar readie to use it, vpon the same board they stand on. The choppers stand at the side of a shallop, which is raised from the ground and sett vp of an equal height with the coppers, and stands about two yards distant from the fournaces. Then a fir-deale is laid alongst the one side of the shallop within board, and vpon it doe they sett their chopping blocks, which ar made of the whale's taile, or els of his swimming finne. Nowe the blubber is laid readie for them by some apointed for that purpose as before is sett downe, in such small peices as the boies doe bring from the crane; and so they take it vp with little hand-hooks, laieing it vpon their blocks, where, with chopping knives, they chop it into verye small peices, about an ynch and a halfe square. Then, with a short thing of wood, made in fashion like a cole rake, they put the chopt blubber off from the block downe into the shallop, out of which it is taken againe with a copper ladle, and filled into a great tubb which hangs vpon the arme of a gibbet, that is made to tourne to and again between the blubber boat and the coppers. This tubb containeth as much blubber as will serue one of the coppers at one boiling, and therfore, so soon as it is emptied, it is presentlie filled againe, that it maie be readie to be putt into the copper when the frittires ar taken out. Theise frittires, as we call them, are the small peices of chopt blubber, which, when the oile is sufficientlie boiled, will

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look browne, as if they were fried; and they are taken out of the coppers, together with some of the oile, by copper ladles, and put into a wicker basket that stands over another shallop, which is placed on the other side of the fournaces, and serues as a cooler to receaue the oile being drayned throwe the said baskets. And this shallop, because it receaues the oile hott out of the two coppers, is kept continuallie half full of water, which is not onlie a meanes to coole the oile befor it runnes into cask, but also to cleanse it from soot and drosse, which discends to the bottome of the boat. And out of this shallop the oile runneth into a long trough, or gutter of wood, and therby is conveyed into butts and hogsheads, which, being filled, are bung'd up, marked, and rowFd by, and others sett in their place. Then is the bung taken out againe, that the oile maie coole; for, not with standing the shallop is halfe fulle of water, yet, the coppers being continuallie plied, the oile keeps very hott in the boat, and runs also hott into the cask, which sometimes is an occasion of great leakage. Now concerning the finnes. When the whale lies floating at the sterne of the ship, where he is cutt up, they cut off his head, containing his toung and finnes, comonlie called whalbone; and by a boat or shallop they towe it so neare the shoare, as it can come, and ther lett it lie till the water flowe againe; for at high waters it is drawn further and further upon the shoare, by crabs and capstowes ther placed for that purpose, untill, at a lowe water, men maie come to cutt out the finnes, which thing they doe with hatchets, by 5 or 6 finnes at once. And theise are trailed further vp from the shoare side, and then are seuered ech from another with hatchetts, and by one, at once, are laid upon a fir deale, or other board, raised up a convenient height for a man to stand at, who scrapeth off the white pithie substance that is upon the roots or great ends of the finnes, with such scraping

78

SECOND RECORDED VOYAGE OF

irons as coopers use, being instruments very fitting for the purpose. Then are they rubbed in the sand, to cleanse them from grease, which they receauve when the heads are brought to the shoare side; for whilst the whale is in cutting up, his head is under the water, and his finnes remaine cleane; but being brought near the shoare and grounded, then does the grease cleaue vnto them at the ebbing or falling of the water, which is alwaies fattie with blubber that floats upon it continuallie. When the finnes are thus made cleane, they are sorted into 5 seuerall kindes, and are made up into bundells of 50, contayneing of ech sort 10 finnes. These bundles are bound vp with coards, and upon ech of them ther is tied a stick whereon is written some number, and the Companies mark sett, and so they are made readie to be shipped. Nowe a little concerning the sea morse (of manie called the sea horse), which, indeed, maie seeme to be rather a beast than a fish, and partakes both of the sea and the land. He is in quantitie about the bignesse of a oxe. Theise morses used to goe ashoare upon some beach or pointe of lowe land, which the snowe doth soonest melt or dissolue; and there will they lie upon the sand close together, grunteing much like hoggs, and sometimes creeping and tumbling one ouer the other. They neuer goe farre up from the water side, and therfore the men that goe to kill theise strike the first that are next the water, that their dead bodies maie be a hinderance to barre the rest from escapeing, for they all make towards the water, with out anie feare, either of man or weapon that opposeth them. Theise also are killed with launces, which are verie broad headed to the end, so that they maie make the more mortal wound, for the speedie killing of them, because they are so neare the water, and also many in nombers; for in some places there will be 400 or 500 morses all together. This sea beast being dead, his teeth are taken out of his

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

79

upper jawe; and his skin, or hide, is fleyed of him, first on the one side, and his fat or blubber, which lies next to his skinne, aboue his flesh, is also taken off; and then is his other side tourned up, and ye like againe done with it. Then is the blubber put into a cask, and carried to the choppers, and by them it is chopped and put into, the coppers, and then it is tryed and reduced to oile.

THE THIRD RECORDED VOYAGE OF

WILLIAM

BAFFIN.

A Voyage of Discouerie to Greenland,1 etc., Anno 1614.2 Written by RO. FOTHERBYE.3 THE ship Thomasine went downe from Black-wall to Woolwich the sixteenth of April, and from thence to Grauesend, the three and twentieth, where shee remayned vntill the eight and twentieth of the same; and, weighing from thence, she anchored againe in Tilberie Hope, with ten 1

Spitzbergen. Purchas, Part in, lib. ii, cap. iv, pp. 720 to 725. 3 There was a family of Fotherbys at Grimsby in Lincolnshire. Martin Fotherby of Grimsby had a brother Robert, and two sons— Charles, Dean and Archdeacon of Canterbury, who died in 1619 ; and Martin, Bishop of Salisbury. Archbishop Whitgift was also a native of Grimsby, which accounts for Dr. Fotherby's Kent preferment. There is a very elaborate altar tomb to Archdeacon Fotherby's memory in Canterbury Cathedral—the marble sidns being carved with skulls and bones in high relief. Our Robert Fotherby probably belonged to the Grimsby stock. He was in the Spitzbergen Voyages of 1613, 1614, and 1615, and wrote narratives of them all, the first in manuscript until it was printed in 1860 in the Arclixologia Americana, the two others in Purchas. These narratives afford evidence that their author was a man of classical, as well as of mathematical culture. After his return in 1615, a Court's Minute of the East India Company, dated in the October of that year, records the opinion that Robert Fotherby is " a very fit person to be employed upon a discovery for the south side of the Cape". He probably went on a voyage to the Indies, but in November 1618 he was appointed the East India Company's overseer for making cordage, to reside at Deptford. In 1621 he was confirmed in his place and salary, and in August of that year he was removed to Blackwall to act as the Company's Agent there. In October 1624 his wages were increased. 2

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

81

ships more of good burthen, and two pinnasses, all of the Greenland fleet, set forth also at the charge of the said Company, vnder the command of Master Beniamin Joseph, chiefe captayne and generall of the said fleet. "We set sayle out of Tilberie Hope the fourth of May, and came to an anchor the same day in Lee Road, where we stayed till the next morning, then wee set sayle againe, and went forth to sea before night. We proceeded in company of the fleet, and met with stragling ice the fiue and twentieth of May, in lat. 75° 10', thro' which wee passed without danger, holding on our course all that day, till time of midnight; then we found the ice so close packt together, that we were forced to tacke about and stand to the westward, till wee found more open passage; wee plyed through it without any great danger, till the eight and twentieth day; but then, being in sight of land, we passed amongst very much ice all the fore-noone, which lay in great abundance on both sides of vs; but a desire (as it seems) to get through it drew vs on to be the more intangled with it, for about noone we could neither find a passage to goe forward, nor way to retyre backe againe, but being nine ships and two pinnasses (for the Prosperous and the Desire lost company through foule weather, the one and twentieth of May, otherwise we had beene thirteene sayle), we began very suddenly to bee inclosed, and shut vp with ice. Now euery one wrought the Eleven '

r

J

&

Sayles fast ce.

best meanes he could for the saftie of his ship; our master, in the I( in the Thomasine, caused a hauser and a grapnell to be M Th carried forth, and laid vpon a great iland of ice, and so we erwinrid as at an anchor, and by that meanes wee stayed from forceable rushing against other peeces ; afterward we laid forth an anchor for surer hold, and made fenders of an old cable, which was hung ouer the ships sides to keepe the ice from piercing of her plankes. Wee rid thus from the eight and twentieth of May till the second of June, still floating as the wind droue vs, with our anchor holding iland,

82

THE THIRD RECORDED VOYAGE OP

which now we accounted as the shoare, and made vse thereof accordingly, for vpon it our carpenter sealed and trimmed our lesser shallop. On the second of June we had a great homeming1 sea, June. the wind being at north-west, whereby we iudged we were not farre from an open sea to windward of vs; there wee resolued to make tryall what we might doe to free our selues out of the ice. In the afternoone, about three a'clock, we got aboard our anchor, letting fall our fore top-sayle, and putting forth our mizen; and so droue a sterne for a while, till the floating iland gaue way; then wee filled our topsayle, and attempted diuers places where to passe, but had repulse, and fell asterne againe; notwithstanding, at the length we preuayled, and with much adoe we attayned an open sea at a north and by west sunne, parting very gladly Wee got from these ill neighbouring ilands; which, at our parting cleere off the Ice. from them, gaue vs, or rather receiued from vs some knockes; but whilest we remayned amongst them, they seemed much more perillous than they proued hurtfull, so wee prayed God for our safe deliuerance, wishing that the rest of the ships which we left in the ice were as cleere out of it as was the Thomasine. Hauing attayned the open sea to the westwards, we proceeded to the northwards, keeping the ice still on our starboord side, and met with the Mary An-Sarah, that got also withthe6' ^ ree °^ *^e *ce ^ ne s a m e day that we came forth of it; we s*araLA"' kept company together till the next day, when being as high as Prince Charles Iland, we both stood in for the shoare, the Mary An-Sarah going for Bel-sound, her assigned harbour; but we proceeded to the Fore-land, where, to theCi™re w n e n w e e c a m e the sixt of June, wee met with two shallops land that belonged to the Desire, wherein was Cuthbert Appleyard and William Sunmes, harponiers; by whom we vnderstood that the Prosperous and the Desire had more desiredly prospered then all the rest of the fleet; they es1 A misprint. Perhaps " hummocking".

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

83

caped the danger that all the rest fell into, and came to the Foreland the third of June, finding the harbour open. Here was yet no worke begunne, for they had not seene one whale since their comming into the harbour; so that for vs there was no cause of stay to bee helpfull vnto them ; and therefore we proceeded to the northward, hoping to weepror

•>

r

&

ceertcd to

find the shoare still as free from ice as it was at this place : the North"

' wards.

but it fel out contrary to our expectations, for being come as farre as Maudlen Sound, in the latitude of 79° 34', we Maudien Sound.

met with some stragling ice, and from the mayne top we saw much ice lye betwixt vs and Hackluyts Headland, ^diana* which seemed to bee close to the shoare, therefore we sent some men in a shallop to Maudlen Sound, to see if it were open, that wee might harbour our ship there, and search for a leake which wee found her subject vnto in foule weather. The Sound was open, and we anchored in a good har- we anbour, but the ice was not gone cleere from the shoare, Maudien '

fe

' Sound.

therefore we could not hale our ship aground, but we carined her, and set vp our Biscaine shallop, which we carried with vs out of England in pieces. The next day after our comming hither, I went forth [n in a little shallop (the other being then vnset together), to see how the ice lay at Hackluyts Headland, and whether we might passe with our ship that way or no. Being come forth of the harbour, we perceiued that it was very foule weather at sea; notwithstanding, I proceeded into Faire Hauen, where the south harbour was then open, but much ice lay then in the Sound, unbroken from shoare to shoare; otherwise wee might haue passed that way to Hackluyts Head-land, betwixt the iland and the mayne land; we stayed here till the next morning, then the weather beganne to cleere vp, and we put forth to sea againe, intending to goe without the Hands; but being out of the harbour, wee found the foule weather to be such as our little weake shallop was not able to endure; therefore we returned G2

84

we set

THE THIRD EECOKDED VOYAGE OF

againe to our ship into Maudlen Sound, where we killed two female morses, and took their teeth, hides, and blubber. On the tenth of June we set sayle out of Maudlen Sound,

sayle out of

Maudieu

and coasted along- to the northward till we were past Hackb

Sound, and

followed

Prince

,

luyts Headland, but then we saw the ice lye before vs, extending close to the shoare, so that for us to passe further that way it was not possible; therefore wee turned to the westward, to see if wee could finde passage further from the shoare. Wee sayled as the ice trended, west and south-west, till the thirteenth day, and, keeping still alongst it, we found it to trend neerest south and south south-west. We proceeded well thus far, till we came vnder the latitude of Prince Charles his Hand in 78° 40', being eight and &

Charles

6

78^40'™ twentie leagues from shoare; but then we altered our wee stood course, and stood in for the foreland, to goe and be helpfull againe for

shoare.

Eieuen Holland

sMps.

we an-

to the other ships there, for the furthering of their voyage, according to our instructions (as some did vnderstand them), but contrary, I am sure, to some of our desires. When we came neere the Foreland, we saw eleuen ships of Hollanders _.

ii-

i

i

i

/-\

vnder sayle, plymg to the southwards. One ot them came roome, and struck her top-sayles twice, whereby we supposed they took vs for some of their fleete which they wanted, but wee held on our course still into Sir Thomas Smiths Bay, where we came to an anchor the fifteenth of

ctorecl ill

Sir T. Smiths

Ba

y-

June by the John-Anne-Francis J

and the Desire, the Mary '

•>

Margaret being then vnder sayle to go to the Foreland. Here was yet no need of any helpe that we could make them, for they had hitherto neyther killed one whale since their first comming in hither; therefore we thought it best not to stay here, but rather goe to Faire Hauen, where wee should bee more readie to proceed on our discouerie when the ice would giue vs leaue, and in the meane-time wee might bee helpfull to the two ships thither assigned for the making of their voyage; and so much the rather wee hasted, because we vnderstood that the Hollanders also set forth a ship on discouerie.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

85

We set sayle the seuenth of June, and met with the ^tiTof* Prosperous, that came from Cross-road, and was going into smiths Bay Sir Thomas Smith Bay, there to get some bricke and lime to mend their fornace, as Nicholas Woodcocke,1 the master, told vs. Then we went forth to sea, and, being about foure leagues from the shoare, the winde began to blow so hard from the north-west, that wee were forced back againe to seek harbour, and came to an anchor the .Jf^back nineteenth of June in Crosse-road. Here we stayed two crosse-lnt° dayes, much wind blowing at the north north-east, till the one and twentieth of June, and then, in the after-noone, the wind came to the east and by south, and the weather was faire; therefore, at a north north-west sunne, weweset s weighed and set sayle brosseJ ae-aine, & > and so did the Thomasroad Bonauenture, that came to an' anchor by vs this morning, beeing also bound for Faire Hauen. This next day, in the afternoone, we were thwart of Maudlen Sound, and, the weather being faire and calme, we sent a shallop to the northward, to see what alteration One Rtiaiinp r

>

to the North

there was amongst the ice, and to seeke out some good wardharbour for a ship, and also to set vp the kings armes at Hackluyts Headland, or some other conuenient place. When Master Baffin was gone from the ship in the foresaid shallop, I went presently into the other shallop into ^ ^auaMaudlen Sound, there to set vp the kings armes, and also len Soundto see if there were any morses come ashoare. When I was within the Sound, I found no beeches bare for morses to come vpon, for ice and snow lav yet vndissolned from the The Kings r

'

•> J

Armes set

shoare side ; b u t I went to t h e harbour, and there caused a xpi?Trim1 There was a seaman of this name, which is not a common one, sent out by the Muscovy Company in 1568, on a voyage to reach the river Ob, but the particulars have not been preserved. Nicholas Woodcock may have been a grandson of this earlier namesake. He was pilot in Jonas Poole's voyage of 1610, but in 1612 he piloted a Spanish ship, and is said to have been the cause of so many Dutch ships having gone to Spitzbergen in 1613. For that offence he was arrested and suffered imprisonment. (Purchas, iii, p. 466.)

86

THE THIRD EECOEDED VOYAGE OP

crosse to be set vp, and the kings armes to be nayled thereon, vnder which also I nayled a piece of sheet lead, whereon I set the Moscouie Companies marke, with the day of the moneth and yeare of our Lord. Then, cutting vp a piece of earth, which afterward I carried aboard our ship, I took it into my hand and said, in the hearing of the men there present, to this effect: I take this piece of earth, as a signe of lawfull possession of this countrey of King James his New-land, and of this Harbor is particular place, which I name Trinitie Harbour, taken on parallel of the behalfe of the company of merchants called the Mer79° 3-1'

chants of New Trades and Discoueries, for the vse of our Souereigne Lord James, by the grace of God King of Great Brittaine, France, and Ireland, whose royall armes are here set vp, to the end that all people who shall here arriue may take notice of his Maiesties right and title to this countrey, and to euery part thereof. God saue King James. This is a good safe harbour, and is vnder the latitude of 79° 34', as I haue found by good obseruation, and haue of westerly variation 25°. When I had here set vp the kings armes, I returned toward our ship, which waa come to an anchor at the entrance of Faire hauen, staying the fioud came, because that at the tide of ebbe there runnes a great current out of the Sound; so, at the next fioud, we came arKmcvlor'0 ^° Faire hauen, and anchored by the Gamaliel and the Hauen. Thomas Bonauvni are the three and twentieth day of June. Then John Mason, master of the Gxnutliel, came aboord of our ship, and I asked him if he had any worke for our men, for I would cause them to come a shoare. He told me w""yri,ks that hitherto he had not seene a whale come in; but his furnaces and coppers were already set vp, and therefore as yet he had no neede of helpe, but when occasion serued he ?c'mSlop w o u ld imploy them. This day, about eleuen a clocke, from the Master Baffin returned in the shallop from the northwards. He said that he had beene at Cape Barren, which is the Barren. point of an ihmd three or foure leagues from Hackluits

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

87

headland ; but further than that he could not passe for ice which lay close to the shore, and he had not set vp the kings armes in any place. On Munday, the seuen and twentieth of June, I went forth againe in the shallop to the northward, partly to see what alteration there might be in the ice with the easterly windes, which had blowne hard since the shallop last returned, but chiefely to set vp the kings armes in some place conuenient, because there was none set vp to the northwards of Maudlen Sound. We rowed to Cape Barren, where formerly Master Baffin had bin, and, finding the ice there gone from the shore, we proceeded further, to an iland which now we call the Saddle, fil in respect of the forme thereof, more than a league distant from Cape Barren. In our way thither it began to snow, and grew to be a great and vehement storme from the A storme west north-west; therefore we hasted and got to the lee side of the aforesaid iland, and there made fast our shallop with a grapnell laid vpon the icie shore, vsing the best meanes we could with our shallops saile to keepe vs from the extremitie of so cold an harbour. We staid here eight houres, and the storme continued driuing the ice still eastward in great abundance, and with wonderfull swiftnesse. When the weather began to cleere, I caused the men to rowe to leewards to another iland, a league distant, which seemed then to be a cape of the maine land, purposing there to set vp the kings armes; but afterwards wee found it to be an iland, and to the maine wee could not come for broken ice. This stormie weather continued from Munday night till Friday morning, during which time we had beene but eleauen leagues at the furthest from our ship; yet went we so farre as we could haue gone had the weather beene neuer so faire, for at foure leagues distance from Cape Barren the ice lay firme and vnbroken two or three miles from the shore, and close againe to it lay the shattered ice,

00

THE THIRD RECORDED VOYAGE OF

thronged together with, this present storme. On Friday morning we came backe againe to Hackluit's Headland, and there I set [up?] the kings armes in the like manner as at Trinitie Harbour. From thence we rowed towards our ship; and as we entred into Faire-hauen, there came a g whale that accompanied vs into the harbour, leaping and omem. a( j rianc j n g. Himselfe almost quite out of the water, falling headlong downe againe with greate noise. We hasted aboord our ship, and I sent forth both our shallops to strike this whale, if they could, and told Master Mason of her comming in, who also went forth in his shallop; but it seemes the whale past vnder the ice which lay yet vnbroken betwixt the north harbour and the south harbour, for they could not see her againe. The next day there came more whales in, and Robert Hambleton, our masters mate, strucke two, which vnluckily whaie3 escaped, the first for want of helpe, the Gamaliel's shallop being in chase of another whale, and our owne little shallop not able to row against a head sea to assist the other; so that at length, the whale hauing towed the shallop forth to sea, the harping iron came out; the second was also strucken within the sound, and ranne vnder the ice, which lay yet vnbroken at the east end of the Sound, and drew the shallop vpon it cleane out of the water, by which meanes the harping iron came forth. Here we remained till the sixt of Julie, our men and boates being helpefull at all times to further the voyage. we came rp ne s ; x t of j u i i e w e s e t s a n e for^ o f Faire-hauen, inTOicn 01

haien".

*

tending to make triall if we could to get to westwards of the ice, and so proceede to the northwards, hauing sent away one of our shallops the day before, prouided with twentie dayes bread, to coast along the shoare, search the beach for commodities, and set vp the Kings armes at places conuenient, hoping thereby to preuent the Hollanders, who now rid in the north harbour of Faire-hauen, and were

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

89

ready for the first opportunitie to discouer and take possession of other harbours, hauing two ships to goe forth onely vpon discouery. We sailed westwards from Paire-hauen seuen leagues, ^ * ^ * and then met with a maine banke of ice, which trended to"thet0°a north and south, the sea appeared to the northwards to be open, so far as we could see, therefore we plied that way. When we had run seuen or eight leagues more, the ice lay so thick on euery side, that we were bard from proceeding any further; then we stood in toward the shore, and being a little to the northwards of Cape Barren, our shallop had SJLfto VB? sight of vs, and came rowing to vs through the broken ice. Master Baffin told vs the shore to the eastward was much pestered with ice, and he had set vp the Kings armes at the entrance of a faire sound, about four leagues distant from Cape Barren. Now the weather being faire and calme, Master Sherwin, Master Baffin, and I, went in the shallop to the place where the Kings armes were set vp, purposing (because the ayre was very cleere) to goe vpon some high mountaine, from whence we might see how the sea was pestered with ice, and what likelihood there was of further proceeding. According to this our intent, we ascended a very high hill, and from thence we saw the ice lye vpon the sea so farre as we could discerne, so that the sea seemed to be wholly toured with ice, saue onely to the eastwards; we thought that we saw the water beyond the ice, which put vs in some hope that we should ere long get passage with our shallops along the shore, if we could not passe with our shippe. Being thus satisfied, we returned abord our ship and plyed towards Faire-hauen, aduising amongst our-tonedtoselues of the best course we could to further the businesse Faire hauen.

committed to vs. WemWe resolued to make our discouery along the shore with ^ o e 4 r ° both our shallops, and to carry with vs our prouision f o r ^ ™ ^

90

THE THIRD RECORDED VOYAGE OP

the whale-killing, concerning good hopes besides, of profit which the beaches would afford vs; therefore we intended, when our ship was brought safe into harbour againe, to goe from her with both our shallops, and to put in practice this our late resolution. But the weather falling calme, and a fog'ge succeeding, which continued three dayes, so that our ship came not into harbour till the twelfth of July. I went from her the eleuenth day, intending to search the beaches, in the one till Master Baffin came to me with the other shallop, and shallop.

Master

then we to proceede both t o g e t h e r ; b u t before he came, I had gone so farre as t h a t the ice would not suffer mee to passe a boates length further, and I had also searched a very faire beach, which was altogether fruitlesse. Master Baffin came to me at a place appointed, the four-

Baffin came

_

r

rJr

'

m th

other

° teenth of Julie, in the other shallop, and we proceeded s a op ' both together to the eastwards againe, and found passage amongst the ice, that lay almost two miles from the shoare Red-beach, of Red-beach, vnbroken vp this yeare. Here wee haled vp we hailed our shallops out of the water, lest the broken ice, which is our shallop

upon the carried to and fro with the winde, might split them or bruise them. Then Master Baffin and I, with foure men more, walked ouer the firme ice, and went ashore on Redbeach, where we trauelled about the space of three miles by the shore side, but found no commodities, as we expected to haue done; for here had the Hull-men1 been in 1612, as we might know, by the fires that they had made, and gathered the fruites that many yeares before had brought forth. Thus, as we could not finde that which wee desired to see, so did we behold that which we wished had not beene there to be seene, which was great abundance of ice, that lay close to the shore, and also off at sea, so farre as we could discerne; wherefore, being thus satisfied, and more wearie to know that we could passe no further then Werewith trauelling so farre, we returned to our shallops and turned to our shallop.

l

° 1 ua\]

lncn

mK\er

the command of Captain Marmaduke

'

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

91

went aboord of our ship in Faire hauen on Sunday, the seuenteenth of July, passing the neerest way betwixt the islands and the maine land, for now the ice was broken betwixt the south harbour, where we rid, and the north hai-bour, where the Hollanders rid. The next day we sent our shallop to the north-east side of Faire-hauen, there to lye for the comming of the whales ouer against the Gamaliels two shallops that lye on the other side for the same purpose. The twentieth of July, wee were vnder saile to goe forth ^a^saiie of Faire-hauen with the Gamaliel, purposing to haue taken to'an a™ two ships that rid at the entrance of Maudlen-Sound with ° orasam ' John Mason, who first descried them, supposed to be one a Bask, and the other an English man ; but the winde blew right into the harbour, so that we could not get forth, and therefore we came to an anchor againe where we rid before. On the one and twentieth of July our harponiers killed a we killed a Whale.

whale, which split one of our shallops, and strucke the harponier that was in her ouerboord; but both hee and the rest of the men were relieued, and taken into another shallop; then we sent our carpenter to mend the shallop that was split; and on the fiue and twentieth day they helpt to kill another whale. On the sixe and twentieth of July I drew the plat of Faire-hauen, as it is here proiected (but here too costly to insert). When this scoale of whales were past, we went out of Faire-hauen the first of August with both our shallops, Master Baffin in one, and I in the other, with fiue men more in each shallop, thinking that now we should find the ice broken, and cleere gone from the shore, conceiuing some good hope to proceede, and make some new discouery, which was the chiefe occasion of our imployment. Wee passed ouer Red-cliff Sound, which we found cleare of August. ice; and from thence we proceeded to Red-beach, where

92

THE THIED RECORDED VOYAGE OF

the Ton"0 w e a ^ S0 found great alteration since our last being there, CTu^shai?1 notwithstanding the ice was not clearely voided from the shoare; for in some places it was firm and vnbroken off, for the space of almost halfe a mile; so we rowed alongst it, thelhoare till wee came neere the north end of the beach, which lyeth of Bed C

'

ith

J

our shai lops.

f i n e s t into the sea, and there we found an open way to ^.jjg s n 0 1 , e w i t h our shallops, and went on land; but seeing in all places great abundance of broken ice, we lay close to the shoare ; and doubting that although perhaps with much adoe we might get about the point of the beach, yet should we still be pestered with ice from proceeding any further, ^eerWHeae.d we resolued to walke ouer land to the other side of the beach, where we saw a hill about foure miles distant, from which we thought we should be satisfied how much further it was possible for vs to proceede; so thither we trauailed, where, when we came, wee saw a very faire sound on the east side of the beach which was open within; but there lay very much ice at the entrance of it, which, although it was extended more than halfe ouer [the] sound, yet we doubted not but if we could get our shallops about the beach, we should finde either one way or other to passe ouer the said sound, and from the high land on the other side we should receiue very good satisfaction, if the weather continued faire and cleare as now it was, therefore we intended to make triall what we might d o ; but before we returned we went down to the point of the beach, at the entrance of the sound, and there set vp a crosse, and nailed The Kings a sixepence thereon with tho Kine;s armes. This beins" armes are

L

*-

o

wicks' done, we returned to our shallops, and according to our Sound. j a ^ e determination, w e r owed about the point of Red-beach, one: Sound. :rPw?chL and with many crooked windings amongst the ice, at length we got ouer Wiches Sound (for so it is now termed). As soone as we were ouer on the other side, about two leagues from Red-beach, Master Baffin and I clambered vp a very high hill, from whence we saw a, point of land,

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

93

bearing east north-east by the ordinary compasse, eighteene or twentie leagues distant, as I supposed. We likewise saw another faire sound to the southwards of vs, which was much pestered with ice, but we could not see the end of it. Here, vpon the mountaine, wee set vp a warelocke, and then came downe againe with lesse labour but more danger then we had in getting vp, by reason of the sfceepinesse thereof. Then we walked to the shoare side, and there found many beach finnes, whereby I coniectured that teach Fins. Master Marmadukes men, in his first discouery, made in Anno 1612, had not beene vpon this land to search the beaches, for in all other places where we had beene heretofore we could finde nothing at all. Now, therefore, we resolued to make further search alongst this shoare, and to proceede with our shallops so farre as we possibly could; wherevpon wee returned to our men againe, whom we left with our shallops where we first landed. Hauing stayed here a while, and obserued the latitude, which I found to be 79° 54', we saw a shallop come rowing towards the extreamest point of this shoare; therefore we hastened towards them, to see who were therein, and found them to be Master Marmadukes men, lately come from their ship, the Harts-ease, which they said they left at sea amongst the ice, about a league from Red Beach. Here they were setting vp a crosse, which they said that they found there fallen downe, and had beene formerly set vp, in the time of Master Marmadukes first discouery, by one Laurence Prest- Note. wood, whose name I saw thereon engrauen, with two or three names more, and it had the date of the seuenteenth of August 1612. Vpon this crosse they nailed the Kings armes. Here we parted from them, and, according to our former determination, we proceeded, some in the shallops amongst the ice, and others on shoare, till wee went about foure leagues further, in which space we found many more finnes,

94

THE THIRD RECORDED VOYAGE OP

and one pair of morses teeth; but now we found the ice so close packt together, that wee could not proceede any further with our shallops; wherefore Master Baffin and I intended to walke ouer land vntill we should be better satisfied how farre this sound went in, for wee could as yet see no end of it, and it seemed to make a separation of the land; so, leauing our men here with the shallops, wee trauailed almost a league further, till we came to the point of a sandie beach that shot into the sound, which was wonderfully stored with drift wood in great abundance. From this point we receiued such satisfaction as we looked for, sir*Thomas because we saw the end of the sound, which lies south in ?e™aiscou-~ about ten leagues. It hath in it harbour that is landlockt; and, doubtlesse, it is a good place for the whale killing, if it be not euery yeare, as now it is, pestered with ice. Here I saw a more naturall earth and clay then any that I haue seene in all the countrie, but nothing growing thereupon more then in other places. This sound is that which formerly had, and still retaineth, the name of Sir Thomas Smiths Inlet.1 BeiDg thus satisfied, we came backe againe to our shallops, an< s e e n n 0 w a v tamedto- ^ i g but o n e ' w e returned to our ship; but wards our |jefore w e cou id g-et to Red-beach, there arose a very great gan™Then" storme from the east north-east after we had entered amongst among the ice in Wiches Sound, so that we were separated the ice.

the one shallop from the other, whereby our danger was the greater; for whiles wee were both in company together, the one might have beene helpefull to the other when neede required, and more easie it seemed to saue them both then, being separated, to keepe either of them from wracke. But God (who, in his wonted mercie, is euer ready to relieue the faithfull distressed) did not onely so prouide that we met together againe—and, indeede, were helpefull the one to the other (otherwise, I doubt the one shallop had mis1 Called Ilinlopen Strait on the modern charts.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

95

carried, for she was in great danger)—but also deliuered vs safely out from amongst these perillous rockes of ice, which it was very hard to shun, and at the length brought vs into an open sea, where, with as scant a saile as we could make, we past swiftly before the winde, the sea comming diuers times ouer the sterncs of our shallops, which wet our skinnes, that had scarse any dry cloathes on before to keepe them warme, by reason of a drizeling snow which fell with the storme. Then we went aboord our ship, into the south har- ^oOTcfour bour of Faire hauen, the fift of August, with one hundred s ip" and fiftie beach finnes, and one pair of morses teeth, giuing thanks to God for his blessing and mercifull deliuerance. The ninth of August, two ships of the Hollanders, that TheHoiiana discouerers

were appointed for Northern Discouery, were seene thwart g°alh?me" of Faire Hauen, sayling to the southwards. The eleuenth of August we set sayle forth of Faire Hauen, the winde at south south-west, intending to make tryall if yet the ice would admit vs to haue passage to the northwards or the north-eastwards. We held our course ^^tfortii from Cape Barren, north-east and by east, till seuen a clocke t0 sea" at night, at which time, hauing runne eight leagues from the shoare, wee met with the ice which lay east and by witiTice south, and west and by north, and bore vp alongst it to the leagues from

eastwards, for the winde was now come to the north north- shore, west; then wee tackt about to the westwards, and plyed ^ndon off and on close by the ice till the thirteenth day at mid- f^™two night, still expecting a change of the weather, that we might haue made some aduenture amongst the shatterd ice, for both on the twelfth and thirteenth day the winde blew hard at north, and the weather was cold, thicke, and very winter-like, with fall of snow ; this winde being- so contrarie, droue both the ice and our ship to leewards towards the shoare, so that wee were forced to put into harbour wee auas-aine, and came to an anchor the fourteenth day in the againe in 6

the North

north harbour of Faire Hauen, where the fleet of Hollanders Harbour.

96

THE THIRD EECOEDED VOYAGE OF

lately rid, at which time the Hartsease was there at an anchor. Now was the land, both mountaynes and plaines, wholly couered with snow, so that almost all mens mindes were possessed with a desire of returning for England. But to preuent a sudden resolution for a homeward voyage, without further satisfaction, I made mention that once againe we might goe forth with our shallops, to see what alteration there might bee found alongst the shoare. It fell out that I was to goe in one shallop for this purpose, so I tooke I went to

the east-

f

r

^

.

with me eight men, and went from our ship the fifteenth

wards in a

A

°

shallop. newiyas Eeiciiiie

d a y of August. W e rowed to Red-cliffe Sound, w h e r e we passed t h r o u g h much ice t h a t was newly congealed, b e i n g t h i c k e r t h a n a n halfe crowne piece of siluer, n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g we b r o k e w a y T . . . . t h r o u g h it, and b e i n g ouer t h e sound, we h a d a cleere sea I intended ° ' ° '

to Port°nce againe; then we proceeded to Red-beach, where, finding Desire. ^Q shoare cleere of ice (which, at my last being there, was wonderfully pestered), I conceiued good hope to finde passage to the furthest land from thence in sight, bearing east halfe a point southerly, nine or ten leaages distant; to this end we put off from the shoare of Red-beach, and rowed a league and more in an open sea, and then we met with ice, which lay dispersed abroad, and was no hinderance to our proceeding, so that we continued rowing the space of sixe houres, in which time we had gotten more then halfe way ouer; but then we found the ice to lye very thicke thronged together, so that it caused vs much to alter our course, sometimes southward, and sometimes northward; and euen in this time, when we thought wee stood in most need of cleere weather, it pleased God to send vs the conA great trarv, for it beganne to snow very fast, which made the snow be-

gan.

•"

°

u

>

^

thicke that we could not see to make choice of the most likely way for vs to passe; therefore I thought good to stay here awhile, hoping that ere long the weather would

a v r e g0

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

97

bee more agreeable to our purpose; so a grapnell being laid forth vpon an Hand off, to hold fast our shallop, a tent was made of the shallops sayle, to keepe the weather from vs, and we remayned here flue houres; but finding no alteration in the constant weather, I willed the men to take downe the tent, and with faire tearmes perswaded them, that notwithstanding the wet weather it were good to be doing something, to get ouer to the desired shoare, where we might refresh our selues, and haue fire to dry our wet clothes : they seemed well content with this motion, and so we rowed the space of foure houres more, the ice still causing vs to hold a south and south south-east course, which carried vs further into Sir Thomas Smith's Inlet, passe for ice.

and put vs from the place where we wished to be. The thicke snowie weather continued all this time, which was very vncomfortable to vs all, but especially to the men that rowed; and as the snow was noysome to their bodies, so did it also begin to astonish their mindes, as I well perceiued by their speeches which proceeded vpon this occasion. The snow hauing continued thus long, and falling a^ginaii vpon the smooth water, lay in some places an inch thicke, at sea.°f 10e being alreadie in the nature of an ice compact, though not congealed, and hindred sometimes our shallops way; this, I say, caused some of them, not altogether without reason, to say that if it should now freeze as it did that night when we came ouer Red-cliffe Sound, we should be in danger here to be frozen vp. Howsoeuer, this search might bee a meanes to discourage the rest, that considered not of such a thing till they heard it spoken of: yet true it is, that I saw no likelihood, by reason of the ice, how to attayne my desire at this time, and therefore I bade them row toward the shoare of Red-beach againe, where I intended t0WRed-ba°k to stay till the weather might happily be more conuenient. So holding a west north-west course, so neere as the ice would suffer vs, wee came to the east side of Red-beach, H

98

THE THIRD RECORDED VOYAGE OF

hauing been eighteene houres amongst the ice, during all which time the snow fell, and as yet ceased not. When we had been here about an houre it began to cleere vp, and the wind to blow hard at east, which rather packt the ice close together in this place then disperst it, so that I was now out of hope to get any than I had done alreadie ; ^ wherefore I returned toward our ship, intending as I went shlp ' to make a more particular discouery of Broad-bay and Red-cliffe Sound, hoping that one place or other would afford some thing worthy of the time and labour. When we were come to the west side of Red-beach it began to blow much wind, where withall the sea growing to be great, all men aduised to passe ouer Broad-bay, whilst the winde and weather would serue vs to sayle, for they said it was like to be very foule weather: so seeing that it was no conuenient time for coasting, we came ouer the bay to Wel cora ' P°mfc Welcome (which I so named because it is a place where wee oftentimes rested when wee went forth in our shallops), it is about foure leagues distant from the north end of Red-beach. At this point the Hollanders had set vp Prince Maurice his armes, neere vnto a crosse which I had caused to bee set vp aboue a month before, and had nayled a six pence thereon with the Kings armes, but the men that were with me went (without any such direction from mee) and pulled downe the said Princes armes, whilst I was gone vp a mountayne to looke into the sea, if I could see any ice; and when I came downe againe they told me that the sixe pence was taken from the crosse I had set vp, and there was another post set by it, with the Hollanders armes made fast thereon, which they had pulled downe; so, because the The King's . , . •• , , T armes are sixe pence was taken away, I caused one to nayle the Kings set vp . 1 ajiaineat armes, cast in lead, vpon the crosse ; which, being done, we L Point Wel-

we'ntinto sound*3

°

rowe

'

d to the bottome of Red-cliffe Sound, and as we coasted along the shoare, we searched two little beaches

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

99

which had some wood on them, but nothing we found of better value. About two leagues within the sound, on the east side, there is an harbour, where shippes may ride in good ground land-lockt; but if other yeeres be like this, I cannot say that this is an harbour fitting for ships, because it is late ere the Sound breake vp ; for euen now there lay much ice at the bottome of it, insomuch that I was forced to leaue the shallop, because I could not passe with her for ice, and walke two miles ouer stonie mountaynes, with another man in my company, to bee satisfied concerning a point of land that shot into the Sound, whether it were an Hand or no, as by all likelihood it seemed to bee : but when I came to the farthest part of it, I saw it joyne to the mayne land, wherefore I called it Point Deceit, because it Point DeJ

'

'

ceit.

deceiued mee so much. From hence wee proceeded toward our shippe, and came aboord of her in the north harbour i come 1 1 p

_

_

aboord our

of Faire Hauen, on Friday night, being the nineteenth of siliPAugust, where she rid alone, for Master Marmaduke was gone forth to sea that day. The two and twentieth of August, John Mason, master of the Gamaliell, came ouer from the south harbour for helpe to havle vp a whale which had beene sunke fourteene A w M e lay r

j

L

sunken

dayes, in one hundred and twentie fathome depth, or else ^ursteene to pull the wharpe and harping iron out of her, for now it was time to take her or forsake her. Master Sherwin, our master, caused our long boate to be manned, and went with him; when they came where the whale was sunke they haled, and shee presently rose, bolting suddenly vp with a thundring cracke, made with the bursting of her bodie; and notwithstanding she had layen so long, yet had shee all her finnes fast. Whilst this was in doing, the Hartsease was comming into the harbour from the northward, and anchored by our ship an houre after. Here wee stayed till the seuen and twentieth of August, H2

100

THE THIRD RECORDED VOYAGE OP

and since my last returne hither in the shallop from the eastwards, the weather hath beene commonly warme, and the mountaynes were now more cleere of snow then they had beene any time this yeere, notwithstanding there had much snowe fallen since the beginning of this rnoneth, but weather in it w a s quite consumed, and a greater signe of warmth and Au/ust.° thaw was now to bee obserued then any time of the yeere heretofore; namely, by the often falling of the ice into the sea from the huge snowie bankes, making a noyse like thunder, so that the time was very hopefull, but thus wee made vse of occasion offered. The seuen and twentieth of August, it was faire and warme weather, calme till noone, then had wee a gale of winde from the south south west, wherewithall wee set we set sayie sayle out of Faire-hauen in the company of the Hartsease, to the Bast-

J

f

J

>

ward.

with whom wee had beene in termes of consortship, but nothing was concluded. About sixe a clocke at night wee were sixe leagues from Cape Barren, which bore from vs south-west and by south. Wee proceeded still to the north-eastward, and on the eight and twentieth day in the morning wee had runne about twentie leagues from Oape Barren, in an east northeast way by the ordinary compasse, being open of Sir Thomas Smith's Inlet nine or tenne leagues from the shoare, at which time wee were come to the ice that trended east south-east, and west north-west, but the sea being very rough, wee stood offagaine from the ice; in the afternoone it fell calme, and at night we had a gale of winde y^0»o..;ms a* eas ^' a n d the ship was steered west, and then south-west

sS£^" or homewards. The nine and twentieth day, the winde easterly, an easie gale. At foure a clocke in the afternoone, Hackluyts Headland bore from vs, south-east by east, foure leagues distant. This euening was very warme. The thirtieth day, the winde at north-east, an easie gale.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

101

At foure a clocke in the afternoone, Maudlen Point bore east north-east, halfe a point easterly, about three leagues distant. Towards the euening it fell calme; the weather not cold. The thirtieth (?) day, faire sunne-shine weather, and calrne till noone, and then we had a good gale of winde from the north-east, being fiue leagues distant from the foreland, which bore south-east. Now we altered our course, and stood to the west-ward ; therefore, to keepe vs still in we stood '

'

r

to the west-

the parallel that now wee were in, which was 79° 8', a west wards, north-west course w;is directed, in respect of the variation, to make good a true west way. This course wee held till wee had runne about twentie leagues, and then wee ranne twentie leagues more in a west and by north course till one a clocke on Friday morning, at which time it fell calme; and wee heard the sea make a great noyse, as if wee had beene neere land, but wee rather iudged it to bee ice, as, indeed, it proued to bee; for in the morning, when it was light and cleere, wee saw the ice, about a league from vs, which trended southerly. Hauing now a gale at east north-east, wee steered away south and south-east, but in the afternoone we were embayed with a long banke of ice, which wee could not weather; therefore Weemet wee were faine to tacke about, and, the winde having come more southerly then it was in the morning, wee stood off from the ice north-east and north-east and by north, and then to the southwards againe, making sundrie boardes to get forth to wind-wards of the ice. The third day, befoore noone, wee had sight againe of ice to westwards of vs, and at noone were vnder the parallel of 78° 27', according to my obseruation. Then wee stood away south, to keepe cleere of ice; for wee had a great homing sea, although but little winde, and therefore durst not be to bold to edge too neere it, especially the winde being easterly, as then it was.

102

THE TH1ED EECORDED VOYAGE OF BAFFIN.

On the fourth day our men saw the ice againe from the mayne top-mast head, and therefore wee still maintayned a southerly course. The next day it began to be foggie, and continued close weather and hazie for three dayes, so that we had no more sight of the ice, neyther could we at this time receiue any further satisfaction concerning the same; therefroe [sic—therefore ?] wee kept a southerly course, so neere as wee could, although wee had but little winde, and the same very variable, till the ninth day, but then wee had a good gale of winde at west north-west. On the tenth, beeing Saturday, we were, by my reckoning, fiftie leagues distant from Low-foot, which bore from vs east south-east, halfe a point southerly. This day the wind shifted to the south-west, and at night came to the south with much raine, then came backe againe to the west beganae. north-west, and began a great storme. This night the master and others saw a light vpon the ga^toP°Itis fore-bonnet, which the saylers call a Corpo Santo. It afthe^nd appeared like the flame of a candle, and (as sea-men obserue) it alwayes presageth an ensuing storme; which to verifie, this foule weather continued the next day, and grew to be so vehement on Sunday night that the sea oftentimes ouer-raked our ship, and wee were faine to lye atry with our fore course onely, and our mayne top-mast also strucke, which last thing (as sea-men say) is seldome done at sea; then, about one a clocke, we were forced to take in our fore course, and to iye a-hull for flue houres. The fourth of October the shippe came to Wapping, with the whole number of men she carried forth (my selfe excepted, that was come before), being sixe and twentie, all in perfect health.

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF

WILLIAM

BAFFIN.

1615.

TO THE RIGHT WOESHIPFVLANDTBVLYEHONORABLESirTHOMXB

SMITH:

Jniiyht. Sir DUDLY DIGGES: Id. Mr. JOHN WOLSTENHOLME:1

esquire,

and the rest of the worthy ADUANCERS and

ADUENTUBEES/or the FINDINGE OF A PASSAGE by the NORTH WEST. THE ADNTIENTE {Right Worshiirfull) had so much regard to the worthies of those tymes, that any waye sought the good and preferment of theare countrye and common wealth wheare they lyued, That ingratytude was so far from them, they honoured, yea with diuine honoure, those to whome theire countiye was in any way obleeged. But wee which Hue in an age, whome the poets tearme an jron age, are so far from honouringe our worthies with due prayse, that many had rather seek occation of slander then otherwise, although not agaynst theare persons, yet agaynst theare acctions. You are- the worthyes of our tyme, whose many fould aduentures are such, but espetiall this of the north-west, which are not discouraged with spendinge and loss of many hundreth poundes, ney rather many thousand pounds; reapinge no other profitt butt onlye bare reports, and those little aaaylable to the purpose. But I feare if I should take on me to sett forth your due prayse, I should come so far short of the marke I aymed at; that it weare better for me to 1

See the Introduction for notices of Sir Thomas Smith, Sir Dudley Digges, and Sir John Wolstenholme.

104

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF

leaue it undoone, then badlye doone: knowinge that who so seeketh to amend APELLES pictture had need be some good artist, and who so seeketh to sett forth the worthie prayse of our LONDON MARCHANTS, had need bee more than a good rethoritian. But what neede I spende tyme hearin, when neuer dyinge fame hath, and will, enroule your names in TTMES CHEEFEST CHRONICLE OF ETERNYTIE: where no ENUIOUS MOMUS shall have power to rase out the smallest tythe thereof. And seinge I haue beene imployed, and haue reaped some profitt from your purses, I might be counted a uery bad seruant if I gaue not in some accounte howe we spent our tyme. Such as it is, I present it to your worshipps vewe: -whearin I haue indeuoured to set doune our proceedinges in so short a methode as conueniently I coulde, referringe our pertyculer courses, latytudes, longitudes, windes, leagues we run, and variatyon of the compas, to the breefe table or Jurnall in the beginninge of the booke, wheare euery of these is sett in their seuerall collombes, with the tytles at the heade. And whereas in the collombe tytle TEUCOURSE, in many places is sett a number betweene the letters, as on the last day of Aprill, is N. 20 E, which is north 20 degrees eastward, or allmost north north east: the tru waye that the shipp had room that 24 houers, the variatyon of the compas, and other accidentes alowed. Also there is a collombe wheare is sett downe the longitude, wheare we weare ech day at noone (although not usual in Jarnales) that theareby ech seuerall uariatyon of the compas, and any other accidente may be the more redylie found without protractinge all or parte of the voyage: in which variatyons I hope I haue not much erred from the truth, comminge nearer then some which haue beene imployed that way heretofore. And because your worships may more redylie see and perseue howe far we haue beene, I haue heare following placed a small mapp, and it is to be noted that within the

105

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

ILE OF RESOLUTYON wee sawe no more land then that I haue colored with greene, besides ilands. And heare is traced out our ships waye, with the red prickle lyne, notynge euery place wheare we came on shore (to make tryall of the tyde) with a red crosse, and for the tyme of high water at those places they are on the next page. Thus bouldly haue I presumed on your worships clemencie in two respectes, the one in consideration of your selues, beinge so well acquaynted with these matters (as hauinge payde so deare for them) would in respect (not of the writer) but of the accion, vouchsafe the readinge thereof; the other, that beinge in duty bounde to be at your worships pleasure, I knowe not howe to shewe my selfe more dutyfull affected, then by giuinge in an accounte how we haue spent, or mis-spent our tyme; beseechinge your worships to accept them, not as my worke, but as my will and affection. And so with my daylie prayers to GOD for your health and prosperous successe in all your accions, I rest, YOUE WOESHIPS, most dutyfullie to be commanded to his best endeuoures, WILLIAM BAFFIN. The LONGITUDE and LATYTUDE of STJCH PLACES wheare we haue heene on

shore within RESOLUTION ILAND §• what Aloone doth make a full sea, or the TYME OF HIGH WATER on the CHAINGE DAVE. And allso there distance from RESOLUTION ILAND.

Resolution Iland. Saluage iland nine legues \ beyond . Broken ilands North Shore 6 leagues shortof CapeComfort At Cape Comfort Sea Horse Poynt Sir Dudly Diggs iland .Nottyngam iland

5 Distance.

m * 66.26 72.00 73.00 74.30 80.30 85.20 85.22 82.30 79.40 80. 50

*

61.30 62.30 62.40 63.46 64.40 64.45 65.00 63.44 62.45 63.32

[3] * E.S.E. S.E. 4 E. S.E.

*

7* 8* 9

s.E.bys S.S.E. S. 5 E. S. 5 E. i i * s. by E. S.S.E. S.S.E. 1U£

m nf

"±

* legues. 58

67J 87 142 180 186 154 123

13+

+ T h i s corner of the page is torn.

II. • j Dayea.

THE Tru course.

« to gj

windea by the conipas.

THE BREEFE IOURNALL.

Latytu'de.

Longitude from London.

Vari afcy on.

1-3 _

i ;

I : j ;

|

_

_

[

w. 20 E.

25 I 26 27 : 28 i 29 30 ! 31 IVNE 1 I 2

1 N. jbyw. w u . y . I w. w./by N. Tf. 3 s. TV . 26 s. TV1". 12 s. s.w. by s. w. 13 s. w. 25 s. w. 15 N. w.20 N. w. 20 N. w. 18 s. N.W. W.N.W. W.N.W. W.N.W. ... ... ... ... ... ... N.E. by N. N.E. by N. w. ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

3 4

... w. 4 N.

5 6 7

N.W. 6 w. W.N.W. 4 N. S.w. by s.

_

.

-

.

„

.

... ... S.E. S.E. E.S.E. E.S.E. : S.S.E. E.S.E. : E.N.E. E.N.E. E.N.E. N.N.E. E.N.E. E.N.E. : N.W. N.W. : E.N.E. E.N.E. :w.

... ... ... E. This morne wee sett sayle from Silly. ... ... ... We came to anchor this eveninge att Padstowe. 50 . 30 7 . 00 7 . 00 50 . 30 7 . 00 ... This morning wee sett sayle from Padstowe. 50 .38 10 . 15 51 . 12- 13 .00 6 . 50 52 .44 15 . 20 ... I 54 . 05 19 . 20 ... j 54 .50 22 . 40 55 . 25 24 . 35 5 . 30 56 . 28 27 . 24 1 . 16 57 .00 28 . 00 57 .28 28 . 15 58 . 30 29 . 25

variable but

59 .00

29 . 00

17J w N.W. 24^ WN.W. : S.E. 35 S.E. : s.W. 25| S.S.E. 25| s S.E. 28 S.S.E. ; S.E. : N.E. 21 N.N.W. : N. : w. 13 w. byN. 7 N. by w. 15 N.N.E. 38 E.S.E. : S.E. 39 S.S.E ; s . b y E . 45 s. : s. by E. 9 N.W. : N. by E. 15 N.N.E. 4£ E. 2*i E.N.E. ... S.S.E. ... e.s.E. ... s. by E . ... w.s.w. ... W.N.W. ... W.N.W. 13 N.N.W. 12£ N. by w. 21" N.E. : E. ... E. : E.N.E. ... w. by N. w. by N. ... S.S.E. ... N.N.W.

59 . 50 60 . 2 4 60 . 43 60.40 60 . 04 59 . 45 58 .56 58 . 4 6 58 . 3 2 58.40 59 . 1 6 59.48 60 . 3 0 60 . 5 0 60 . 55 60 . 5 8 61.27

29 . 26 1 . 30w. 31 . 40 35 . 15 38.00 ... 40 . 24 9 . 24 43 . 00 10 . 30 44 . 15 ... 45 . 20 11 . 30w. 46 . 00 12 . 00 j 47.30 ... 51 . 00 54.40 58 . 50 59 . 30 61 . 0 0 19 . 26 61 . 15 20 . 18 63.40 ... I

... ...

10

)

MATE 1 2 . 3 I 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ' 21 ; 22 I 23 24

I

-

7 ... ... 8 ... ... 18 ... ... 19 ... ... £0 w. £ N. 41 21 w. by N.f N. 37 22 N.W. | N. 45 23 N.W. by w. 50 24 W.N.W. £ N. 44 25 W.N.W. £ N. 24 26 N,.W. by w. 36 27 :NT.W. by N. 13 28 N.w.byw.|w. 10 29 N\ 29 W . 24

j 30

I

.

w- ward.

... 10^ 17 19 4

W.N.W. E. : N.N.W. N.W.

w.s.w.

61 . 2 0 64 . 33 22 . 36 61 . 18 '64 . 26 ... 61 . 5 0 63 . 30 ...

62 ,20

62 . 40 21 . 00

62 . 21 62.12 61 . 4 0

64 . 40 65.20 66 . 30

... ... 23 . 40

61 . 1 8

66 . 50

24 .

61 . 2 0 ...

66 . 50

24 . 8 ...

61 .35 67 . 56 61 . 38 68 04

Cape Farewell bore north 15 leg. east at noone.

At noone we put into the ice.

! ! This eveninge at 8 a clock we weare forth of the ice. j , At 5 a clock this afternoone, we saw the iland of Jtesolution.

6

...

This afternoone a storme att south-east. We suppose a currant* sett to the south-west. This forenoone wee sawe land. This night a storme.

This morne we weare sett within the entraunce of the Strayts. Wee came to anchor on the west side of Resolution ile. Att noone we sett sayle.

j

S.S.E. : w.s.w. 62 . 1 0 69 . 34 ... i w.s.w. 62 .32 71 . 30 26 . 2G W.N.W. : N.W. 62 .21 71 . 40 27 . 10

Dayes.

THE Tru. course.

§ bo *

windes by the compaa.

La tytude.

Longitude from London.

H!

|

.

8

-

5

N.W.

-

- ,

;

62 . 2 7

72 . 00

o

J

~

...

'

™

'

We came to anchor at Saluageiles,at 8 a clock this night.

9

n.w.

1£

N.N.W.

62 . 30

72 . 0 6

10 11 12

W.N.W. ... ...

9£ ... ...

E . : N.W. N.W. W.N.W.

62 . 40 62 . 40 62 . 4 0

73 . 04 73 . 04 73 . 04

13 14 15

W.N.W. ... ...

9 ... ...

variable. N. : N.N.W. S.S.E.

62 . 4 8

74 . 00

16 17 18 19 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

... ... ... W.N.W. ... ... ... ... ... ... 'W.N.-W. w.3s.

... S.S.E. : W.N.W. ... N.w.byw. ... variable. 12|r S.E. ... ... ... N.N.W. ... N.W. by K. ... N.w. by N. ..» S.E. ... S.E. 13 S.E. 5 variable.

63 63 63 63

74 74 74 76

. 05 . 45 . 45 . 14 ... 76 . 18 76.20

... 27 . 45 ... 28 . 30 ... ... ...

... 76.32 77 . 32 78 . 30

... ... ... 28 . 34

This eueninge we set sayle; hauinge had calme whether since the 19 daye. Att noone we sawe Salisburie island.

28 . JO 28 . 28

This morne we weare by a smale iland, we called it Mill ile. At night our ship was in great distress with ice.

IVLT 1

2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 l'> I

N. 40 w.

Tari aty on.

.22 .26 . 26 .40 ... 63 . 2 8 63.28 63 . 18 63 . 30 63.30 63 . 4 2 63 . 4 0

w.

11|

S.S.E.

63 . 4 0

79 . 45

N. 31 w. w. 24 N.

6£ 10" 28

N.N.W. w.s.w. S.w.

63 . 55 64 . 05 64 . 54

80 . 1 0 81 . 1 3 82 . 45

5 5

N. : N.N.W. JS.N.E.

65 . 0 0 65 . 1 0

83 . 00 82 . 40

11 3| 3 5

N.W. w. w. : N.W. s.w.

64 . 4 8 64 . 4 6 64 . 3 6 64 . 2 4

81 81 80 81

w.s.w. : K.N.W.

6*4 . 3 0

83 . 08

64 65 65 65 63 63 63

84 85 85 85 82 82 81

K.-W. N.W. by w. N.E.

S.E. by E. s. S.E.

s.w.

H

w. 6 N.

12 13 [1-i] I [15] ! [16] 17 18 19 20

w. 3 N. N. 36 \f. ... ... ... w.s.w. w.s.w. ... ...

18

12 17i ..." ... ... 6^ 8| ... ...

w. : w.s.w. s.w. S.E.

S.E. Variable. N.W. by w. N. : N. by E.

. 33 . 18 .18 .02 .54 .38 .36

. 28 . 28 . 40 . 04 . . . . . . .

48 50 56 22 50 00 00

27 . 20

... ... ...

This morn e we set saile, and in the after no one came to anchor agayne 9 leagues W.N.W. of This eueninge we sett sayle.

This eueninge we anchored among diuers iles. At eleuen a clock we sett sayle. We made fast to a piece of ice wheare we stayed 8 dayes. This daye I obserued the moones comminge to the meridian and found the longitude 74° 5' west from London, and 91° 35'from Wittenberg.

. . . w.

28 . 20

I This euenin^e we anchored near the north shore.

... ...

We sent our bote ashore 6 leagues south of Cape Comfort: att 6 a clock this eueninge we returned.

... ... ... ...

We anchored neare Cape Comfort. At night wayed anchor. We came to anchor at Sea Horse Poiot this eueninge. This morne we wayed anchor aud stood for Nottinghams ile, wheare this night we anchored,

N.W.

s.w. by s.

21 22

... ...

... ...

W.N.W. N.N.W.

...

..

...

23 24 25 26

... ... ... ...

... ... ... ...

N.N.W. Southward. ... w.s.w.: w. by s. N.N.W.:N.:N.N.E. 63 . 3 0

...

...

80 . 00

...

27 28 29 30 31

E.N.E. E.N.E. ... ... E. 8 N.

2 13 ... ... 18

E. : E.N.E. : N.E. ... N.E. ... N.E. 62 . 4 4 N.E. by N. 62.44 s. 62 .56

... ... 80 . 05 80.05 75 , 45

... ... ... ...

1 2 3

E. by s. E. 19 s. E. 17 s.

15 38 19

s.s.w. : s.w. 62 . 46 s.w.:N.w.byw. 62 . 16 N.W. : S.E. 62 . 2 0

76 . 5 72 . 6 70 . 15

...

4

.„

.„

.„

...

I

i We passed betweene Nottinghame and Salisburies ile. At night we came to anchor. This day stood ouer for Sea Horse Point agayne. This morne we returned for Digges ile. We came to anchor at Digges ile, foule wether. We wayed and sett sayle for homewards.

AVG.

.j^

^

This afternoone we came to anchor on the north shore among diuers ilandSj 30 leagues within Resolution ile. This day we sett sayle.

Dayes.

THE Tru course.

3 to

Si

windes toy the compas.

La ty-

tude.

Longitude from London.

Vari aty on. 0

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

E. 32 s. E. 20 s. E. 18 S. E. 13 S. E.

E. 7 S. E. 3 4 s. E. 7 S. E. 8 S. E. 4 0 N. N. 2 2 E. S.S.E. E.N.E. N. 3 0 E. s. 25 E.

S. 40 E.

s. 20 s.

B.

S.S.E. B. 25 S. E. 30 s. E. 35 s. s. 29 E. s. 30 E.

s. 3i> w. N. 3 0 B. S.E.

45 46 43 29 26 32

46 40

38 20 11 7 8 22 9 14 20 4 14 21 36 38 39 18 10 3 20

61 60 59 N.w. : s. by w. 59 s.s.w. : s. 59 N.N.W. 59 N.W. 57 w.s.w. 57 •ff.s.w. s. by E. 57 S.E. by E. 57 E. by s. 58 E. 58 S.E. 58 S.E. 59 E.S.fi. : E. 58 N.N.E. 58 E . : E.S.E. 57 E. 57 N.E. 56 N.N.E. 56 N. by B. 55 N.N.E. 54 N.E. 52 N.E. by B. 5.2 E.N.E. 51 E.S.E. 51 N.W. N.W. *J.W.

N.E.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

00 20 36 14 15 4 32 18 6 42 15 5 20 20 52 18 22 8 30 5 10 00 40 18 25 32

50 . 46

65 61 57 54 51 48 45 42 3S 36 36 36 35 34 34 33 32 32 32 30 27 24 23 23 23 23 22

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30 00 00 14 40 52 40 00 25 56 35 15 35 30 8 15 30 30 6 20 35 52 42 5 30 25 15

/

We past by the ile of Resolution, but sawe it nott. 19 . " 3 0 » ..

...

We came through sora smale ice, of Cape Farewell, but saw no land. •«* • •• . ..

,,, ••*

... ... ...

2 ."bo ••• . .. . ..

A sore storme. [Note. Here the journal ends, at the bottom of a reverse page. Whether left incomplete, or whether the concluding portion be lost, must be left to conjecture.]

TIIE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OP BAFFIN.

Ill

A TKU RELATYON OF SUCH THINGES AS HAPPENED IN

fourth voyage for the discouery of a passage to the north west, performed in the yeare 1615. After so many sundrye voyages to the north westward, to the greate charge of the aduenturers, The last being under the command of Captaine G-IBBINS, in which by som sinister accident, was little or nothinge performed. Yett the right worshipfull, Sir THO. SMITH, knight; SIR DUDLY DIGGES, knight; Mr. JOHN WOSTENHOLME, esquire; Mr. ALDERMAN JONES, with others, beinge not theare with discouraged, this yeare 1615 sett forth agayne the good shipp called the DISCOUEKARE, beinge of the burthen of 55 tonn or theare aboute, (which ship had beene the three former voyages on the accion). MARCH.

The chf.efe mr. and commander, vnder GOD, was ROBERT a man well experienced that IVUIJPS, (hauinge beene imyloyed the three former voyages) my selfe beinge his mate and assotiate, with fourteene other men and 2 boyes. This ship being in redines, vj>on the Ihth daye 15 of March came abourd Mr. JOHN WOSTENHOLME, esquire, one of the cheefe aduenturers, and ivith him Mr. ALLWIN CARYE (husband for the voyage). Who hauinge deliuered. our mr. his commission, and reade certayne orders to be observed by vs in the voyage, giuing vs good exortations, and large promyses of reward, as treble wages to all, if the accion weare performed, the)/ departed, charginge vs to make what speede we could away. So the -next day, 16 beeing thursdaye, we wayed anchor at ST. KATHBRINS, 17 and that tyde came to BLACK WALL, and the next day to BYLETH,

18 GEAUES ENDE ; and the morrow after to LEE.

112

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OP

19 Sondaye the 19 it blu hard at south west and by south, yet this daye vie came to anchor neare the BOOY on the NOURE ENDE. The 20 daye the winde variable, but by 2 a clock this afternoone we came to the NORTH FORLAND, 22 wheare we stayed all the 22 daye, ivhich day we wayed and 23 that night anchored in the DOUNES. The 23 in the morne we wayed anchor, tlie winde att east, and east and by south: 26 thus with indiffpyrent ivindes and wether we came to anchor in SILLY the 26 daye. APEILL.

7 Heare we stayed for afayre winde till the 7 day of Apr ill, being Good Fry day e, which day we v;ayed anchor in the morne, the winde south south east. We had not stoode on our course abone 10 or 12 leagues, but the wind came to south, then to south south west and blu extreme hard, ivhich encreased so sore, that we weare not able to beare any sayle at all. 8 The next morning we stood for PADSTOW in COBNEWALL, because we could not fetch Silly agayne, and about 10 a clocks ive came to anchor in the entrance of the harbour, 9 and the next daye, being Uaster Sonday, in the forenoone we moored our ship in the harboure. Heare we stayed till the 19 daye, hauinge had much foule wether and contrary windes. While heare we stayed ive found much kindness at the handes of Mr. RICHARD PENKEWJLL, who, beinge will-

inge to further vs with what things we wanted, or that place could afford, as with beefe and porke, and also with a capstand which we wanted, haueing broke ours in the storme when we came from Silly. And also he ivas desirous his eldest sonn should goe alonge with vs, to which our mr. and the rest of the company agreed, because he 19 layd in all prouition fitt for the voyage. So the 19 of Aprill in the morne we wayed anchor, the winde south east a good gale, we leeepinge our courses as in the breefe Jarnall

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

113

you may more conueniontly see. And. seinge fcwe tliinges of note happened in our outward bound voyage, I refer all other tliinges to that table before noted} MATE.

6 We haueing had an indiffei'ent good passage, vpon the 6 of Maye we sawe land on the coste of GKOYNLAND on the east side of CAPE FAREWELL ; and that night we had a storme. So keeping a southwardly course to gett about the ice which lay on that coste, we kept on our course tyll the 17 daye of Maye : all which forenoone we sayled through many greate ilands of ice. Som of them were 200 foot aboue water, as I proued by on shortly after, which I found to be 240 foote high aboue water. And if reporte of some men be tru which afflrme that there is but on seuenth part of it aboue water, then the height of that peece of ice I obserued was 140 [? 280] fathoms, or 1680 foote, from the top to the bottome. This proportion doth hould I knowe in much ice, but whether in all, or no, I know nott. 17 This 17 of May aboute noone, wee weare come to the firme ice as it shewed to sight, althoni/h in dcrde it was many pecces draucn together : wheare our mr. asked my opinion conserninge the puttinge into the ice. My judgment was it would be best for vs to stand somwhat more north ward, to so if we could find any more likley place, for heare we could not disserne wheare to put in the ships head. Hee answered we weai*e as for [far] to the north ward as the south end of KESOLUTION ILAND, and now had all the south channell southward of vs; and through much ice we must goe. Supposinge that, if 1

The British Museum manuscript was very carefully collated with the narrative hi Purchas, by Mr. Randall, and the foot-notes pointing out the differences are by him. The italic print denotes the matter omitted by Purchas. Material alterations or additions, in the version given by Purchas, are noticed in the foot-notes. I

114

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF

we could gett som 3 or 4 leagues within the ice, at euery tyde it would open and we should gett somthinge on our waye, it being now fayre wether, and if it should chance to bio hard, we should then be forced to enter in. I could not much say agaynst his opynion, beinge indeede in the latitude of 61 deg. 26', and hee knew the manner of this ice better then my selfe, so presently we resolved to put into the ice. (This first entrance I liked not uery well, the ice being so uery thick, and by all our accounte and recoilinge we were 30 leagues from shore, which after we found to be tru).

After we weare entred a little into the ice, it was not longe before we weare fast sett vp, but sometymes of the tyde the ice would a little open, then we made our way as much to the north-west as we could, yet we playnlie found that we weare sett to the southward, although the wind weare southwardly. 22 Nowe vpon the 22 daye the wind came to north northwest, then we determined to gett forth agayne, fearinge the wind should com to the north-east, for then it would be hard for vs to fetch any part of the Straytes mouth : seinge this aboundance of ice and knowing that it must haue some time to dissolue, our mr. was determyned to run up DAUIS STRATTES and to spend some 20 dayes therein, to trye what hopes that wayes would afford, supposinge by that tyme we myght come near RESOLUTION ILE. This purpose of our mr. contynued no longer but tyll we weare forth of the ice, which by God's assist23 auce was the 23d daye about 8 a clock att night, the wind at N.W. and by W. When we weare cleare of the ice, we stood to the northwarde, as much as the ice and winde would suffer vs, running about 13 leg. north east and by north; by the next day at noone, beinge in the latytude of 61° 50' and fayre weather. 25 The 25 daye we made our waye and course weare as

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

115

we did the daye before, namely N.E. and by N., 13 legues.1 26 The 26 daye all the forenoone fayre wether and could, but in the afternoone it blew uery hard, and close haysey wether, that about 2 a clock we weare forced to take in our sayles. All the tyme that we sayled this daye we passed through much ice, lyinge in longe driftes and ledges, hauing made a west way about [?] leagues.2 27 The 27 daye aboute 4 in the morninge we sett sayle. Most parte of the day proued close and foggy, with much snowe, freesinge on our shroudes and tackle, that the like we haue not had this yeare; but toward 5 a clock in the afternoone it cleared vp and we sawe the ILAND OF RESOLUTION, it bearinge west from vs about 13 or 14 leagues, and at night moored our ship to a peece of ice.3 28 The 28 daye, beinge Whitsondaye, it was fayre wether, but the winde at west and west by north, that we weare forced all this daye to make our shipp fast to a peece of ice, yet we playnlie perceued that we sett more into the straytes with one tyde of floud, then we sett forth in 2 ebbs, although the wind blu contrary. 29 The 29 the winde variable and fayre wether. About eleuen a clock we sett sayle and tacked too and fro 30 along the iland. And the nest morne, about two a clocke, the winde came to the south south-east, but we hauinge so much ice we could doe but little good nowe we had a faire wind.4 This night (or rather eueninge, because it was not darke), we were sett within the 1

[About twelve leagues and an halfe, our latitude at noone 62 degrees 20 minutes. At sixe a elooke the winde was north north east. P.] 2 [Havinge runne about twenty one leagues true vppon a west course. And note when I put this word true, I meane the true course, the variation of the compasse and other accidents considered. P.J 3 [The winde being at west. P.J 4 [The wind continued all this day and night a stiffe gale. P.] i2

116

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OP

poynt of the Hand, so that nowe we weare within the

straytes, playnly prouinge what is sayd before, namely, that one tyde of floud setteth more in then two tydes of ebb will sett forth. 31 The last daye of Maye also faire weather, the wind for the most part north north-west. The afternoone being cleare, we saw the point of the South shoare1 beai'ing from vs south by the compas, which is indeed south south-east, somewhat eastward, because here the compas is varied to the west 24 degrees. IVNE.

1 The first day of June some snowe in the forenoone, but afterward it proued very faire, the wind west north-west; and perceiuing the ice to be more open neare to the shore we made the best waye we could to get in, and to com to anchor if the place weare conueniente; seeinge the wind was contrary and also to make tryall of the tyde. And by seuen a clock we weare at anchor in a good harbour, on the west side of RESOLUTION ILAND, wheare an east south-east moone maketh a full sea, or halfe an houer past seuen on the chainge day, as seamen acounte. At this place the water doth rise and fall about 22 or 23 foote; the compas doth vary 24...6' west, and it is in longitude west from LONDON 66 degrees 35'. The latytude of the north ende of the iland is 61...86', avd the lati/tvde of the south end is 61...26'.

The bredth of the south channell, or the distance betweene the iland and the south shore is 16 leagues, and the bredth of the north channell is aboute 8 miles in the narrowest place. Vpon this iland we went on shore, but found no certaine signe of inhabitants, but only the tracke of beares and 1

[Called Button'.'! Iks.

P.]

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

117

foxes. The soyle is only rocks and stonie ground, hardly any thinge growinge thearon which is greene. It is indifferent high land to the north, hauinge one high hill or hummocke to the north east side, but toward the southward it falleth away uery low. 2 The 2 June in the forenoone the wind came to east south east with snowe and foule wether. About noone we wayed and stood vp along by the iland1 to the north ward. This afternoone it proued foule wether, but toward eueninge it cleared vp and we saw the north shore. But heare to wright of our often mooringe to ice, takinge in sayles, and fast inclosinge, would prooue but tedious to the reader, as it was troublesom to vs; so therefore I referre it: but our course, and waye we made from noone may be seene else wheare. We continuing our courses so neare to the north shore as conueniently we could, with much variable wether and 8 windes, but stedfast in contynuance among ice, till the 8 daye. Then hauinge the winde contrary to vs, being somewhat neare a poynt of land (or rather a company of ilandes),3 we determyned to come to anchor8 among them if possible we could. About 6 a cloclc we weare come to anchor, and as we weare busy in makinge vp our sayles and fittinge our ship, we hard a great houlinge

and noyse, as we supposed of doggs vpon the ilande neare to vs. So soon as the ship was moored, we sent our bote somewhat nearer the shore, to see if they could perceue any people, who returninge, they tould vs they sawe tentes and botes, with a number of doggs, but people they sawe none. 1

[So well as the ice would giue vs leaue to gett. P.] [Which after we called Savag hies, hauing a great sound, or indraught betweene the north shoare and them. P. 3 [Necre one of them, being the eastermost saving one. P.] 2

118

THE FOURTH EECOEDED VOYAGE OF

Then by and bye we went to prayer, and after our men had supt, we fitted our bote and selues with things conuenient; then my selfe and seuen other landed, and went to the tents, wheare findinge no people, we went to the top of the hill (being about a flite shot of) wheare we sawe one great cannoo, or bote, hauinge aboute fourteene personns in it; they being on the furthest, or north-west side theareof, beinge from vs somewhat aboue a musket shott of. Then I called vnto them (using some words of Groynlandish speeche), makinge signes of friendship. They did the like to vs ; but seeing them to be fearefull of vs, and we not willinge to trust them, I made another signe to them, shewinge them a knife and other small thinges, which I left on the top of the hill, and returned doune to their tents agayne. Beinge returned to theare tents, we found some whale finnes to the number of 14 or 15,1 which I tooke aboard, leauinge kniues, bedes, and counters insteede thereof. And among other of theare househould, I found in a smale lether bagg a company of little images of men; and one the image of a woman with a child at hir backer all the which I brought awaye. Among there tents (being fiue in number) all couered with seale skinnes, weare runnings up and done, about 35 or 40 dogs, most of them mussled. They are most of them about the bigness of our mungrell mastives, being a brinded black culler, lookinge almost like wolues. These doggs they vse instede of horses, or rather as the Lappians doe theare deare, to draw theare sledes from place to place ouer the ice. Theare sleds beinge shod, or lined, with bones of great fishes to keepe them [from] wcaringe, and the doggs have collers and furniture uery fittinge. These people haue their apparell, botes,2 tentes, with 1 fFortic orfiftiewith a few scalc-skinncs. P. | 2 [Boots. P.]

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

119

other necesaryes, muche like to the inhabitaunte of Groyneland, sauing that they are not so neate and artefitiall, seminge to bee more rude and vnciuill, raynginge vp and doune as theare fishinge is in season. For in most places wheare we went ashore, we sawe wheare people had beene, although not this yeare, but wheare theare dwellinge or abode in winter is, I cannot well 9 coniecture. The next morninge we fetcht 2 botes ladinge of stones aboard, because our ship was very light, keepinge a good watch on shore, for feare the people should come doune vpon vs while we weare busie. By noone our ship was fitted. Then afterward we marched aboute the island, but could see no people. This iland lyeth in the latytude of G2...30', and in longitude west from London aboute 72 degrees,1 being 60 leagues within the entrance of the straytes. Here the compas doth varye 27.30', and a south-east 4 degrees east moone maketh a full sea. It doth ebb and flowo almost as much water as it doth at RESOLUTION ILB ; and heare the floud commeth from the eastward, although our Master was confidente to the contrary. 10 The 10 daye,2 in the morninge, we set sayle, the winde north, which contynued not longe, but was very variable tyll noone, and then it came to north-west, we hauinge sayled along by the shore, about 9h leagues north northwest, the ice lyinge so thicke in the offen that we could not gett of. Then perceuinge a good harbour betweene the mayne and 2 smale ilandes, we went in with the ship, wheare we moored her, and stayed till the 12 day at night. 1

By the observations made on board the Fury and Heda (July 24, 1821), this anchorage was made 2-| miles to the northward, and 1° 52' to the eastward of the position assigned to it by Baffin. Variation 52° 37'. — Voyage of the Fury and Heda (Parry), 1821, etc. P. 16. (Chart.) 2 London : 1*24. [At sixe a clocke. P.]

120

12

13 14

15

16

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF

In this place it is high water on the chaunge day, at 9 a clock, or a south-east moone maketh a full sea.1 Here the floud commeth from the south-east, as it did at SALVAGE ILAND,2 and because our Mr. was conceued otherwise, I tooke our surgeon (a man of good iudgment) to the top of the He, where most apparently we saw the tru sett of the tyde by the ice dryvinge in the offen. For all the tyme the water doth rise by the shore, the ice did sett in to the straytes; aad as soon as the water fell it returned. But the truth of this was made more apparent by other places after ivard.3 The 12 day after we had doone som busines in our ship, as cleared our pumps and such lyke, seinge the ice to driue in more then vsuall it did before, about 8 a clock we set sayle, it being almost calme. Shortly after the winde came to south west and by south, which contynued but till 12 a clock; then it came to west with snowe and foule wether. The 13 aboute noone we tooke in our sayles, and made the ship fast to a peece of ice, beinge some 9 leagues from our last harbour. All this daye and the next the wind was contrarye, and foule wether, we driuinge too and fro with the wind and tide. The 15 in the morne, the wind came to the south south east; then we set sayle, and made the best waye we could through the ice, and in the afternoone it blu uery much winde, and was foule wether, so that at 8 a clocke we weare forced to take in our sayles and to make the ship fast to ice agayne, it beinge a storme and amounge much ice. The 16 day, lying still in the ice, the wether close and hasye (as it hath beene these six dayes) we being neare 1 2 3

[The latitude of the place is 02° 40'. P.] [Although our master was perswadcd otherwise. P.] [In this place is no sign of people, as we could perceive.

P.]

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

121

a greate company of ilandes, and the wind at north north west, this afternoone wee stood towards these ilandes : and at night came to anchor neare one of them, in a small coue, the better to defend the ship from danger of 17 the ice. In this place we stayed all the next day: but 18 vpon the 18 being Sonday, at eleuen a clocke we set sayle, it beinge allmost calme, we makinge the best way we could gett from a monge those Hands, being more safe further of then neare them : for these iles lye in a bay (as it weare), being many of them, and euery one hath his seuerall sett and eddy, carryinge the ice to and fro, that a ship is allwaye in danger of some hurte. The latytude of the place is 63...26'; and west from London, neare 74... J 25': the compas doth vary 27...40'; 2 and a south east and by south moone3 maketh a full sea. 19 This evening and the next forenoone we had a fine gale of wind at south east, we, standinge alonge the lande, it being all broken ground and ilandes to the sea ward. By noone we weare come to the poynt of those ilandes. and being not past a league or 4 miles distant, we weare fast sett vp with ice, the wether very fayre and allmost calme. This •poynt of Hands I after called Fair Ness,4' by reason of the fayre wether we had at this place, for from this 19 daye till the 27 daye (yea till the 30) the wether ivas so faire, cleare and calme, that it was more then extraordinary in this place, and we so fast closed vp ivith ice, that many tymes one could not well dip a payle ofivater. 1 2 [72. P.] [46. P.] 3

[And a quarter of an houre after nine on the chainge day. P.] [This evening, and the next morning, we had a faire steering gale of winde at south east, wee standing along by the land, it being all small broken ilands, to a point of land about twelve leagues in distance from the ile wee put last from: which point I called BROKEN POINT, it being indeede a point of broken iles. On the nineteenth day, by twelue a clocke at noone, wee were about foure miles from the point before named, fast inclosed with ice, very faire weather ; and well might wee 4

have called this point FAIRNBSSE, or, POINT.

P.]

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THE FOtTETH RECORDED YOYAGE OF

And some dayes while heare we stayed ive slwtt at butts with bowe and arrows, at other tymes at stoole ball, and some tymes at foote ball. And seinge I haue begun to speahe of exercise, I think it not amiss to relate one dayes exercise of my oivne. While we weave thus fast inclosed with ice, and, the 21 wether fayre and cleare (as is sayd before) vpon the 21

daye I sawe both the sonn and moone very cleare. Then thinkinge it a fit tyrae to be doinge of somthinge to imploy myself vpon, I fitted my instruments to take both the Almycanter and Azimuth of the sonn and also of the moone: fearinge I should not see them so well agayne. Which obseruations I think it not much unfitt heare to sett doune (although I neuer wrought it, because I had another the next daye, better to my contentment, otherwise I would have spent some tyme in this), as heare they followe : deg. ( Sonns Almycanter ... 25. 5 { Sonns magne. Azimuth 29 . 00 [ V. Of N.

fMoones Almycanter ^Mones Azimuth ... ( s. of w.

deg. 32 . 5 43.00

butt heare is to be noted that the moones Almycanter and Azimuth weare taken 4 minites 30 seconds of tyme after the sonns.1 1

Baffin took every opportunity of taking astronomical observations, and especially of testing theoretical methods of finding longitude. His first recorded observation for longitude was taken in Cockin Sound, on the coast of Greenland, and is explained by him in his journal (see page 20). The first part of this Greenland observation is that for finding the time and place from the altitude of a heavenly body, the latitude and declination being known. But the method of finding the longitude by lunar culmination is unsuited to purposes of navigation, owing to the great error in longitude caused by a small error in the time of the moon's culmination. The observation which Baffin describes in the text, at page 122 is a complete lunar observation. I have been favoured with the following interesting note upon it by Mr. John Coles, K.N., the Instructor in Practical Astronomy and Surveying to the lloyal Geographical Society. "Thi,,, in a very rough way, is a complete lunar observation. Baffin

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

123

22 The next morne being fayre and cleare, and allinost as stedy as on shore, it was no neede to bid me haue my instrument of uariation in redynes to take the time of [the] moone's comming to the meridian, hauinge my quadrant redy to take the sonnes Almicanter, it being indifferent large, as of 4 foote semydiameter. I hauinge1 appears to have chosen the method of measuring the distance by the difference of Azimuth, because, in all probability, he did not possess an instrument with which he could measure so large an angle as 104°, that being the computed distance from the Azimuths given; this distance would, however, be greatly in error unless the declinations of both heavenly bodies were the same. The Almicanters here mentioned are small circles, parallel to and, in this case, above the rational horizon; they are therefore the observed altitudes. Thus we have the following lunar observation: Obs. Alt. of© Angular Distance. Obs. Alt. ofthe JJ 25° 5'. 104° 0'. 32° 5'. which observation, cleared from the effects of parallax and refraction, would give the true distance, and the longitude could be found by using the right ascensions of the moon and sun, without the aid of such tables as are now given (of lunar distances) in the Nautical A hnanac. "Speaking of this observation, Baffin says, ' I never wrought it'; and, indeed, had he computed this observation, it is not possible that he could have got any satisfactory results. This will be the more clear when we consider that an error of 1' in this very roughly observed distance would, under the most favourable circumstances, produce an error of 25' in the longitude. "Judging from this record, it seems quite certain that Baffin was acquainted with the theory of obtaining the longitude by observing the altitudes of the moon and some other heavenly body, and measuring the angular distance between them, this method of rinding the longitude having been proposed as early as 1514 by John Werner of Nuremberg, and again, in 1545, by Gemma Frisius of Antwerp ; but this observation of Baffin's is, so far as I am aware, the first recorded attempt to put it into actual practice at sea; and any one who will inspect Baffin's observations can scarcely fail to come to the conclusion that it is highly improbable that a man, so far in advance of his time as a navigator, and so intimately acquainted with the practical part of astronomy, would, in his studies, have overlooked so important an observation, or that ho would have failed, when a favourable opportunity presented itself, to make an attempt to put it into practice." ' [Haue. P.]

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THE FOURTH RECOKDED VOYAGE OF

taken the uariation of my needle this forenoone and dyuers tymes before, which was 28...30' W. Nowe hauinge all things in redynes (for I had tyme juough) for it would be after foure in the afternoone before any thinge could be doone; so hauing wayted till the moone was precisely on the meridian, and that instant tooke the height of the sonn,1 which was 26° 40'. The latytude of the place is 63...40', and the sonns declination for that tyme 23 degrees 6 minites. By which three things giuen I haue found the houre to be fine a clocke 4!...52" ...1'"...4"" or 76 degrees 13'...16" of the equinoctiall afternoone. Nowe according to Searle's Ephemeris,2 the moone came to the meridian at LONDON at 4 a clocke 54'...30": and after Origanus? tins moone came to the meridian at WITTENBERGE at 4 a clocke 52'.5", the same day. Nowe hauinge this knowne, it is no hard matter to finde the longitude of the place sought for. For according to the moones ordinary meane motion, which is 12 degrees ech day, which is in tyme 48 minites: and [?] to this account, if the moone be on the meridian at 12 a clock this day, tomorrowe it will be 48 minites past 12.4 1

[The sunnes Almicanter, at the instant when the moone was on the meridian, was 26°. P.] 2 John Searle received his licence to practise chirurgery in 1607, and published, in 1609, An Ephemeris from 1609 to 1617, whereunto is annexed three succinct Treatises of the use of an Ephemeris of the fixed Starres, and foure Sections of Astrologie (4to., London). The book contains, among other tables, a correction of time in respect of difference of meridians; a list of places, with latitude and longitude in time ; a table for converting degrees and minutes into time; eclipses; and a table of the inequality of days, and the equation or correction of them. The copy of Searle's Ephemeris at the British Museum wants the title page ; that at the Bodleian Library is a perfect copy. 3 David Origanus was the author of an Ephemeris for the years 1595 to 1650. His meridian was Wittenberg. (Frankfort, 1599, 4to.) 1 This is the same method he adopted in Cockin Sound for finding the longitude (see page 20), namely, by lunar culmination. Mr. Coles ob-

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

125

Nowe I hauinge the time at this place found by obseruation, which was 5 a clocke 4'...52"...1'"...4"" (but in this I neede not be so precise): and at LONDON 4 a clocke 54'...30": which, substracted from the former, leaueth 10'...22"...1'"...4'"; and the moone's motyon for that 24 houers was 12 1 ...38: which conuerted into tyme is 50'...25"...20'".

This beinge knowne, the proportion

is as follows: If 50'...25"...20'" giue 360, what shall 10' ...22"...l'".. 4"" giue?

The fourth proportionall will

be 74 degrees 5', which is the longitude of this place west from LONDON : because the moone was later on the meridian at this place by 10'...22". And by the same forme of working by Origanus Ephemerides, the distance is 91 degrees 35 minites west from the place Origanus Ephemerides is supputated for, but for to decide which is the truer I leaue to others: but neyther of them is much different from

my supposed longitude

according to my iurnaU which was 74...30'. 2 And seeing serves:—"It is most surprising that Baffin should have obtained even such an approximation as he did, and his method of observing with two plumb lines set in the meridian, is both original and ingenious." 1 [22. P.] 2 [And by the same working of Origanus Ephemerides, the distance is 91 degrees, 35 minutes west of west. But whether be the truer, I leaue to others to iudge :—and in these workings may some errour be committed, if it be not carefully looked vnto: as in the obseruation, and also in finding what time the moone commeth to the meridian at the place where the ephemerides is supputated for, and perchance in the ephemerides themselves : in all which the best iudicious may erre; yet if observations of this kinde, or some other, were made at places far remote, as at the Cape Bonasperanza, Bantam, Japan, Nona Albion, and Magellan Straytx, I suppose wee should haue a truer Geography than wee haue. P.] Alluding to Broken Point, Captain Parry remarks: " On the 29th we were off a point of land having- several islands near it, and exactly answering the description of that called by Baffin, in the year 1615, Broken Point, it being indeed a point of broken islands. This headland is memorable on account of a lunar observation made off it by this able and indefatigable navigator, giving the long. 74 05' which is not a degree to the westward of the truth." Parry had only seen Purchas. But

126

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OP

I am entred to speake of celestiall obseruations, I will note another which I made at sea the twenty six of April, by the moones comminge in a right, or strayte line with two1 starres; the one was the Lyons heart, a starre of the first magnitude; the other a starre in the Lyons rumpe, being of the second bignes. These 2 stars mdkinge a right line with the outward edge, or circumference of the moone, at the instante I tooke the height of one of them, namely the Lyons harte, because I would haue the houer of tyme :2 but in this obseruation it is good to attend for a fit tyme : as to haue the moone in a right line with two starres not far distante and those not to be much different in longitude, because then the moone will soone alter the angle or position, and such a tyme would also be taken when the moone is in or neare the 90 degree of the eclipticke aboue the horizon, for then there is no paralax3 of longitude, but only of latytude : but who is so paynfull in these busines shall soone see what is needefull, and what is not: but the notes I tooke are as followeth :— , , r Lyons heart J

f Eight assention

Declination •, -, -{ TLongitude Latytude Almycanter

r Eight assontion Lyons rumpe J Declination •ng | Longitude L Latytude

1464 28 30 .-.,

13 24 00 33

,,„

57 29 26 40

30 ,_ 45 30 00

163 12 5 14

23 38 53 20

00 00 45 00

Baffin's manuscript gives 74° 30' for the longitude, which is still more correct.—See Voyage of the Fury and Hecla, 1821-23. P. 21. London: 1824. i [Fixed. P.] 2 [The circumference, or outward edge, of the moone, being in a right or straight line with these two starres before named: at the instant I tooke the altitude of the south ballance, which was 2° 38', because I would haue the time. P.] •• [Paralell. P.] > [46. P.]

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

127 o

The Moone

Paralax { Latytude Almycanter

/

ff

00 47 46 03 20 00 37 00 00

Latytude of the Place, 56° 43' 00". After Tycho Brake.

27 28 29 30

These notes I haue set doune, that if any other be desirous to spend a little tyme therein they maye; my selfe haue spent some therein, and more I would haue spent, if other busines had not letted. I haue not heare set downe the pertyculer worke, because I found it not altogither to my mynde. The working of this proposition I receued from Master Budston. But if it had pleased God that we had performed the accion we intended, I would not feare but to haue brought so good contentment to the aduenturars, concerning the tru scituation of notable places, that smale doubt should haue beene thereof: but seeing so smale hopes are in this place, I haue not set doune so many obseruations as otherwise I would. We lying heare inclosed with ice, hauing fayre and calme wether (as before is said) till the 27 day at eueninge; which tyme we sett sayle, the winde at south east an easie gale. All the 28 and 29 dayes, we made the best waye we could1 through the ice. At noone this day we sawe SALISBUET ILAND.2 The last of June the wind variable; but our daylie object was still ice. All this day we stood toivard the foresaid Hand. IVLY.

1 The first of July close, haysie, wether, with much raine, the winde at south south east. By noone this daye we weare some 3 leagues from SALISBURY ISLAND; but 1

[But the nine and twentieth day the ice was more open then it had been these ten dayes before, and at noone..... P.] 2 [It bearing due west from vs. P.]

128

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF

hauinge much ice by the shore stood alonge to the northward; and the next morninge we weare fayre by another smale ile (or rather a many of small ilandes), which we afterward called MILL ILAND by reason of the greate extremetye and grindinge of the ice, as this night we had proofe thereof. At noone beinge close by this ile we took the latytude thereof, which is near to 64 . . 00', but how it lyeth may be better seene in the mapp then heare nominated with ivritinge. Heare driu-

inge to and fro with the ice most parte of this daye till 7 or 8 a clocke, at which time the ice began somewhat to open and separate. Then we set sayle and hauinge not stood1 past an houer: but the ice came driuinge with the tyde of floud from the south east with such swiftnesse, that it ouerwent our shippe, hauinge all our sayles abroad and a good gale of winde, and forced her out of the streame into the eddy of these iles. The ilande or iles, lying in the middle of the channell, hauinge many sounds runnings through them, with dyuers points and headlands, encountering the force of the tyde, caused such a rebounde of water and ice/ that vnto them that saiv it not is almost incredible. But our ship being thus in the pertition, between the eddy which runne on waye, and the streame which runne another, endured so great extremytie, that valets the Lord himselfe had beene on our side we had shurely perished ; for sometymes the ship was hoy seel aloft; and at other ti/rncs shee hauinge, as it were, got the vpper hand, would force greate mighty peeces of ice to sinhe doune on the on side of Mr, 1

[Along by the ile, on the east side thereof. P.] [(Which ran one way and the stream another) our ship hauing met the ice with the first of the floud, which put her so neere the shoarc that she was in the partition betweene the ice, which the eddy caused to runne one way and the streame the other, where she endured great distresse ; but God, which is still stronger than either ice or .streame, presented vs and our shippe from any harmc at all. P.] 2

WILLTAM BAFFIN.

129

and rise on the other. But GOD, which is still stronger then either rocks, ice, eddy, or streame, preserued vs and our shippe from any harme at all. And I trust will still contynue his love to vs, that we may performs some more acceptable sends to his glory, and to the good of our common welth.

3

4 5

6

This continued till towards high water, which was aboute one a clocke. Then with no smale trouble we got into the channell and stood away to the north ward.1 When we had passt some distance from the ilande we had the sea more cleare of ice then it was since we came into these straights; and sayled all the next day through an indifferent cleare sea, with the winde at south west: but towards 8 a clocke at night, we weare come agayne into much ice, it being thicker and bigger than any we came amonge yet. This place2 is distant from Mill ilande som 26 leagues, and the tru course north west and by west.3 The next morne we sounded, and had ground at 120 fathoms, soft osey ground. Then standinge more northerly, the fifth day in the forenoone we had ground at 80 fathoms, which day the winde came to the north, and we settinge som thinge more southward, had ground at 110 fathoms. Thus seeing this great aboundance of ice in this place, and notinge that the more we get to the northward* the more shoalder the water was, the icealso beinge foule and durtye, as not bred far from shore, our mr. determined to stand to the eastward, to be certainely informed of the tyde. The sixth day in the forenoone (as we stood to the eastward) we broke in a planke and two tymbers in the ships

1

[North-!«-e*«-ward. P.] [Where we began to be inclosed againe. P.] 3 [After wee were fast in the ice, we made but smale way, yet we perceiued a great tyde to set to and fro. P.] 4 [North-westward. P.J 2

K

130

THE FOURTH EECOEDED VOYAGE OF

bow, which after we had mended we proceeded1 forward. 7 The next forenoone, we saw the shore, it being but low land fin respect of the other) and toward this side the sea is more shoald then at other places: but excellent good channell ground, as smale stones and shels ;2 and also heare is a very great tide both of ebb and floud. But no other floud then that which commeth from Resolution ilaude; for about 7 a clocke, we beinge neare the shore, hoysed forth our bote, then 5 other and myselfe wente on shore found it ebbinge water. We staied on shore about an houer and a halfe, in which time the water fell about 3^ foote, all the ice in the offen settinge to the southward. A south south east moone inaketh a full sea, or halfe an houre past tenne3 on the chainge day. Here we sawe no signe of people to be this yeare, but in yeares heretofore they have beene, as we might well see by dyuers things, as wheare their tents had stood, and such like; perchance theare tyme of fishing was not yet come, theare being so great aboundance of ice. 8. 9. The 8 day the winde was at west, and the next almost calme, we keepinge* not far from the shore, our mr. determined to stand over for NOTTYNGAH ILAND, to make triall of the tyde theare; but the winde being at south west we weare forced all this day to6 tack to and fro, whereby we had more proofe of the settynge of the tt/dc. Towards the night the winde came to the north north west; then we stood away to the westward (leauing the search of Nottyngam ile) hauing a great swellinge sea out of the west with the winde which had blowne: which put vs in some hope. 1

[For to get to tho east side, which we called the north shore because it is the land stretching from Resolution, on the north side of the straits. P.] 2 [Some twelue or fourteene leagues from shore but the further off 3 more osey. P.] [As the seamen account. P.] 4 [Reeking. P.] 6 [Turnc. P.J

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

131

11 The eleuenth day, in the forenoone, we sawe land west from vs, but no ground at 130 fathoms: so standinge alonge by the land which here lay about north-west and 12 by north. And by the next morne we weare thwart of a bay, or sound runninge into the land. In the bottom thereof the ice was not yet broke vp. Then standing ouer1

that bay towards a faire cape, or headland, in the afternoone it was almost calrne, and we beinge almost a league from shore hoysed forth our bote, and sent six of our men to see howe the tyde was by the shore.2 They went from the ship at 5 a clocke and came aboord agayne at 8, who brought vs word that it was falling water, and that it had ebbd while they weare on shore somewhat about 2 foote. Also they affirmed that the fioud came from the northward in this place, the which we also sawe by the ship driuinge to the northward, and it being calrne (the cause thereof I suppose to be the indraft of the bay) but this put vs in great hope of a passage this waye, wherefore our Mr. named the poynte of land that was some 6 leagues to the northward of vs CAPE COMFOKT. It lyeth in the latytude of 65de. 0(F and is 85de. 20'4 west from LONDON, and heare we had 140 fathoms water 13 not a league from shore. There our sudden hopes weare as soon quayld, for the next morninge hauinge dubbled the cape, when we supposed (by the account of the tyde) we should be sett to the northward, it beinge little or no winde, we weare sett to the contrary, and that day hauinge a good gale of winde we had not proceeded on our course past 10 or 12 leagues, but we sawe the land trendinge from the cape, round aboute by the west tyll it bore north-east and by east, and very thick pestred 1

2 [To the northwards. P.] [And from -whence it came. P.] [26'. P.J According to Parry, lat. " 64° 54'".— Voyage of the Fury and Ileda, 1821-23, p. 33. London : 1824. 4 [86°. P.] According to Parry, long " 82° 57'".—Ihid. 3

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THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF

with ice, and the further we proceeded the more ice and shoalder water, with smale sliowe of any tyde.1 We seeing this, our rnr. soone resolued theare could be no passadge in this place, and presently we bore vpp the healuie and turned the ships head to the southward. This was about 6 a clock. The land which we sawe beare north and north-east was about 9 or 10 leagues from vs, and shurely without any question this is the bottom of the baye, on the west side; but home far it runneth more eastward is yet uncertayne. 14 The 14, the winde was for the most parte at south east, so that we could make but small waye backe agayne; 15 and the next morninge very foule wether, we comming to anchor in a smale coue near Cape Comfort, on the north west side thereof. Heare we found (as on the 1

[At sixe a clocke this afternoone we sounded and had ground in 130 fathoms, soft osey, hailing had at noone 150 fathoms. P.] In this vicinity, at 7 P.M. on the 5th of August 1821 (lat. 65° 22' 50" N., long. 81° 24' 00" W., var. 55° 05' 30"), Captain Parry found the tide set E. by S. at the rate of half a mile an hour ; and by observation, he ascertained and confirmed the truth of Baffin's remark respecting "the small show of any tide". The following day, the Fury and Hccla were two miles and a quarter (lat. 65° 28' 15" N.) to the northward of the locality in which Bylot and Baffin left off their search for the North-west passage. Parry says "the reasons which induced Baffin to relinquish the enterprise at this place were the increased quantity of ice, the water becoming less deep, and his seeing land bearing N.E. by E. from him : circumstances which led him to conclude that he was at the mouth of a large bay." " The same land," Captain Parry continues, "which we had now in sight, proved to be one of several islands, and I gave it the name of BAFFIN ISLAND, out of respect to the memory of that able and enterprising navigator". On the 15th of the same month, the expedition was within a league of a remarkable headland on Southampton Island, which was named by Captain Parry, CAPE BYLOT, as being " probably the westernmost land seen by that navigator".— Voyage of the Fury and Hccla, 1821, etc., pp. 31-33-37. London : 182-i. Baffin Island and Cape Bylot, named by Parry, are on each side of the entrance to Frozen Strait; the latter o:i Southampton Island.

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

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other side) a south I east moone maketh a full sea, or halfe an houre past 11 on the chainge daye : but howe the floud doth set we could not well see, it beinge so foule wether at sea, and so fogge. In the afternoone the wind came to north by west, then we wayed anchor, and stood along by the land to the southward, with a stiffe 16 gale of winde and very hasey. By the 16 at noone we met with a great qnantitie of ice lying som 7 or 8 leagues within the point of the land. Among this ice we saw som store of MOUSE, som vppon the ice and other in the water, but all so fearefull that I thinlie little good would he expected in hope of Idllingc them. Tlwij art! so beaten irilli the SALTTAGES they will not suffer nether ship nor bote to com neare them. By eight a clocke we

were com to this southern point, which I called SEA HOUSE POINT, wheare we anchored open in the sea, the better to proue the sett of the tyde. Heare we found, most apparently to all our companies sight, that in this place the tyde of floud doth come from the south east, and the ebb from the north west, being the certaynest sett of tyde we haue yet made proofe of; playnelie pcrcening the sett of the ships ridinge at anchor, and also by the settiitge of the ice. And for our better assurance, our mr. went himselfe on shore to make proofe thereof. The tyme of high iraftr on the chaingc daye is about eleven a clocke, something past: l;eping a- proportion of fyvie in all places as we haue beene, at since we came into the strayts, all conevrringe of the flovd to come from the south east, and no place else, sent in ge 6 leagues short of Gape Comfort, but the cause thereof I &vppose to be nothing but the indraft of tin- bai/e. 17 The next morning our mr. aslied- our opinion whether it iveare better for vs to seeke out some harboure hcareaboute to see if v:e could, kill any of those MORSE u-esaivc, or 'presently to go for NOTTYNGAMS ILANDE to make proofe of the

134

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF

tyde offloud tlieare, ivhich was the place wheare formerly was affirmed the floud to come from the north west. My answear and most of the companies was, that seeinge we are bound for discouery, it could not he our best waye to spend any tyme in search for these morse, they being so fearefull and beaten with the saluages. And yf we should kill some fewe of them they would not be worth the tyme ive should spend. Seeinge we Jcnewe not wheare to harboure our ship, and when shee is in harboure, we haue no other bot'e but our ships bote, which we dare not send, far from the ship. And those morse we sawe iveare in the sea, and what tyme or wheare they would com on shon ivas vncertayne. These thinges considered I thought it better to go for NOTTTNGAM ILANDE, and so to prosecute our uoyage as

thcare we shoulde find occation, and if theare our hope of passadge ivas voyde, and, the weather prooue fayre, vce might soon com back to this place agayne, it beinge nott past 16 leagues distante. When I had spoke, our mr. sayd he was also of Hud minde, and, so we waved anchor presently and stood ouer with a stiffe gale of winde, which continued; and toward night a very foule wether, and a sore storme. By tenne a clocke we weare com to anchor on the north west side of NOTTTNGAM ILE, where are 2 or 3 smale iles lye off from the greater, which make very good sounds end harbours. About this ile we found some store of ice, but nothing in comparison of that which heretofore we haue had. We staied about this island till the 27 day, hauinge much foule wether, many stdrmes, often foggs and vncertaine windes. Dyuers tymes we set sayle to goe to that side of the ile where the ship rode when CAPTAINE BUTTON was in her: fmdinge in other places of this iland the floud to com from the south eastward, and the

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

135

tyme of high water on the chainge day to be at half an houer past ten, and not at halfe an houer past seuen, as some supposed. In these ten dayes we staied about this ile, we fitted our ship with ballast, and other necessaries we had neede of; and then proceeded as followeth. L*6 The 26 daye, being indifferent faire wether, we passed between NOTTYNGAH ILE and SALISBURYS ILANDE at the south point thereof (I mean of Nottyngam Ile), wheare are many small, low, broken iles, without the which had beene a fit place for vs to haue anchord, to haue found out the tru sett of the tyde. But our mr. desirous to com to the same place wheare they had rode before, stood along by this ile to the westward, and came to an anchor in the eddy of these broken groundes, wheare the ship rode at no certaintie of tyde at all. 27 The next morning the wether proued very foule and much rayne and winde, so that our keilyer1 would not hold the ship,2 but was driuen into deepe water, that we weare forced to set sayle, the winde beinge at east, and then east-north-east, and at noone at north-east, still foule weather. Being vnder sayle, we stood away towards SEA HOUSE POINT. Our mr. (as I suppose) was perswaded that there might be som passadge between SEA HORSE POINT and that land which they called SWAN ILANDE : so this afternoone we saw both SEA HOESE POINT and NOTTYNGAM ILE. The distance is about 15 leagues, bearinge the one from the other north west and south east. 28

The 28 in the morninge we weare neare the former point, being somwliat southward of it, trendinge away west south west so farre as we sawe; and very much pestred with ice. At seuen a cloqke we tacked about and stood south east and by south. 1 2 [Rcger. P.J [At eightie fathoms' scope. P.]

136

29

THE FOURTH RECORDED VOYAGE OP

The next day at eleuen a clocke we came to anchor at At this place wheare we rode, it lyeth open to the west, hauinge two of the greatest iles which breake off the force of the floud till the tyde be well bent; for after the water beinge risen by the shore about an houer and a halfe, then the ship doth wind vpp and ride truly on the tyde of floud all the tyde after. Now the tyme of high water on the chainge daye is halfe an houer past ten,1 nearest eleuen, whom Jtearetoforc was taken to he halfe an houer fast seueu, or an east south east moone, by which mistake I suppose hath groivne the erroure at Nottyngam Hand, affenninge the floud, to com frmn the north west, maltinge account that it would be high -water at both places alike (as indeede it is), but the mistahinge of the tyme -was all, for it is an easey thin go to make a man beleeue that which he desireth.

DIGGES ILE, hauinge very foule weather.

30

The 30, being fayre weather, about noone we set sayle,2 wheare we presently perceued the saluages to be close hid on the top of the rockes; but when they see we had espyed them, dyuers of them came runninge downe to the water side, calling and, weauingc vs to com to anchor, which we would haue done if conueniently we could. But heare the water is so deepe, that it is hard to find a place to ride in, which we seeinge, lay to and fro with our ship, while sorn of our men in the bote killed 70 fowle, for in this place is the greatest quantitie of these fowle (whom we call WILLOCKS), that in few places else the like is to be seen : for if neade were we might haue killed many thousands, almost incredible to those which haue not seene it. Heare also we had sufficient proofe of the tyde, as we lay to and fro witl'i the ship, but when our men weare com aboord agayne, we 1 2

[Or neerest thereabout. P.] [And stood along close by Digges lie. P.]

WILLIAM BAFFIN.

137

set all our sayles for homeward, makinge the best expedition we could. AVGVST.

3

But on the third of August we were forced to com to anchor agayne about thirtie leagues within RESOLUTION 4,5 ILAND, on the north shore. The next day we set sayle, and the 5th in the forenoone we past by RESOLUTION ILAND, without sight thereof: thus continuing our course (as in the breefe iournall may be seene) with much contrarie windes and foule wether. SEPTEMBER.

6

We had sight of CAPE CLEEBE in Ireland the sixt of September. The next morninge by daylight we were faire by SILLY, and that night, at two a clocke the next rnorne, we came to anchor in PLYMOUTH SOUND, without the loss of one man. For these and all other blessings the Lord make us thanJcfull.1

And now it may be that som expect I should, give my opynion conserninge the passadge. To those my answere must be, that doulth's theare is a passadge. But within this strtiytc, ivhome is called, Hudson's Straytes, I am doubtfull, supposinge the contrarye. But v:hother there be, or no, I vill not affirme. But this I will afjinuo, that we haue not beene i>i any tydethen that from Resolution Hand, and the greatest indraft of that commeth from Dauis Straytes; and my judgment is, if any passadge within Resolution Hand, it is but som creche or in lett, but the inayne will be vpp freturn Dauis; but if any be desirous to Inioive my opi/uion in pertyculler, I will at any tyme be redy to showe the best resons I cann, eythcr by word of mouth, or otherwise. 1

[With all our men liuing, hauing onely three or four sicke, which soone recouered. P.]

THE FIFTH KECOKDED VOYAGE OF

WILLIAM

BAFFIN.1

A briefe and true Relation or Journall, contayning such accidents as happened in the fift voyage, for the discouerie of a passage to the North-west, set forth at the charges of the Right Worshipfull SIR THO. SMITH, Knight; SIB DUDLEY DIGGES, Knight; MASTER JOHN WOSTENHOLME, Esquire; MASTER ALDERMAN

with others, in the good ship called the Discouerie, of London ; ROBERT BILETH, Master; and myselfe Pilot, performed in the yeere of our Lord, 1616.

JONES,

March 26. I N the name of God, Amen. The forenamed ship being in full readinesse vpon the twentie sise of March, we set saile at Grauesend, being in number seuenteene persons, hauing very faire weather, which continued till the second of Aprill: by that time we were off Portland, then the winde comming westward, with foule weather, we kept sea till the fourth day, then being not able to fetch Plimouth, bore roome for Dartmouth, where wee stayed eleuen dayes, in which time was much foule weather and westerly windes. The fifteenth day of Aprill, being cleere of Dartmouth, wo were forced the next day to put into Plimouth. The nineteenth day we set saile from thence, and the twentieth, in the morning, we past betweene the Lands end and Silly, with a faire winde. Continuing our course, as in the briefe Table or Journall is set downe, with euery particular from noone to noone, that here I need not make a 1 From Purchas, Fart III, lib. iv, cap. xix, p. 844.

FIFTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF WILLIAM BAFFIN.

139

tedious repetition, nothing worthy of note hapning, but that we had a good passage, and the first land we saw was in Fretum Dauis, on the coast of Groinland, in the latitude Gromiand. of 65° 20'.1 On the fourteenth of May, in the forenoone, then sixe of the people, being a fishing, came to vs, to whom we gaue small pieces of iron, they keeping vs companie, being uery ioyfull, supposing wee had intended to come to anchor; but when they saw vs stand off from shoare, they followed vs a while, and then went away discontented, to our seeming. We prosecuting our voyage, were loth to come to an anchor as yet, although the winde was contrarie, but still plyed to the northward, vntill we came into 70° 20'; then wee came to an anchor in a faire sound (neere the place Master Dauis called London Coast).2 The twentieth of May at euening, the people espying vs, fled away in their boates, getting on rocks, wondring and gasing at vs, but after this night we saw them no more, leauing many dogs *foensand running to and fro on the iland.3 At this place we stayed two dayes, in which time wee tooke in fresh water and other necessaries; here we had some dislike of the passage, because the tydes are so small as not arising aboue eight or nine foot, and keepe no certaine course; but the neerest time of high water, on the change day, is at a quarter of an houre past nine, and the flood commeth from the south. The two and twentieth day, at a north sunne, wee set saile and plyed still northward, the winde being right against vs as we stood off and on. Vpon the sixe and twentieth day, in the afternocne, we found a dead whale, 1

This would be Sukkertoppen, or the Cockin Sound visited by Baffin during his first voyage. See page 16. 2 The north point of Disco Island is in 70° 20' N. Hare Island, north of Disco, is in 70° 26' N. Baffin may have anchored on the north shore of the Waigat, in this latitude, near Noursak. 3 Probably Hare Island.

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Hope

THE FIFTH RECORDED VOYAGE OF

about sixe and twentie leagues from shoare, hauing all her finnes.1 Then making our ship fast, wee vsed the best means wee could to get them, and with much toile got a hundred and sixtie that euening. The next morning the sea went uery high, and the winde arising, the whale broke from vs, and we were forced to leaue her and set saile, and hauing not stood past three or foure leagues north-westward, came to the ice, then wee tacked and stood to the shoare-ward, a sore storme ensued. By the thirtieth day, in the afternoone, wee came faire by Hope Sanderson, the farthest land Master Dauis was at,2

Sanderson.

•